Divorce like no other
by uchihafangirll
Summary: Sasusaku AU. In Biertan village in Transylvania, Romania, the church had a divorce/reconciliation room: couples that wanted to break up had to live for two weeks in a room with one small bed, one table, one chair, one plate and one spoon. Inspired by 9gag(.)com/gag/aMQndW1
1. Prologue

I _was_ inlove with her.

I've known her since college. Dated for three years. Asked her to marry me after we graduated. Of course, she said yes. We ran away together. Married in Biertan Village here in Romania. Traveled the Europe together. So after two years of marriage, I don't know how, why, when this happened. There are no signs.

* * *

"I want a divorce."

He's quiet. His eyes, unreadable as ever. He doesn't look up to me. Don't get me wrong. I love this man. God, I love him so much. But there are things, other important things aside from love. Openness. Honesty. Time. I thought about this twice, thrice, many times this past two weeks. And maybe, maybe, this is for the best.

"Sasuke, I love you. You know that, but this, this isn't working for us. You're busy with your career, I am busy with mine. You seldom talk to me. God, I don't know how to help you. It hurts to see you like this. Why won't you tell me anything?"

He still doesn't respond. He's looking outside, just like everyday, when we got the chance to spend the day off from work. God, I'm crying again. I am so helpless. We've been married for two years, and yet, and yet why do I feel like I don't know a single thing about this man I love, my husband.

He look up to me then, and his words is the confirmation that there is nothing saving us.

"We can go to the church tomorrow. Prepare the documents."

He stood up then without sparing me a glance. After hearing the sound of the door, I cried harder then. _Sakura, this is what you want, you idiot_. Today, I will cry until there are no more tears to shed. And tomorrow, we will free ourselves from this mess.

* * *

To be continued..


	2. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1 : Divorce like no other**

* * *

I am always been punctual but never been so punctual that I find myself in the office at 6:15 am when I go to work usually around 8:30 am. I couldn't sleep at all last night, replaying what has happened the last 24 hours I spent at home. I know that we've been having problems lately and most of the time, I admit I am the one to be blame but this, divorce, I never thought that it will lead to that.

"Oi Bastard! Don't ignore me. Oh I know! Mr. Uchiha, Good Morning! You're so early today! Coffee?" Typical Naruto to state the obvious.

"What are you doing here _again_ in my office so early in the morning?" So much time for finding a quiet place to think. And how many times would I have to tell this idiot that his key is for emergency purposes only, not for some place for him to sleep. Or to eat his disgusting ramen.

"Oh you see, they are giving away free ramen coupons in this store next to our building. I had to wake up at 5 am since I was expecting there will be a lot of people you see. But it turned out, I was the only one who was able to wake up really early so this lady gave me 20 of the free coupons. And, well, I was here for a while now uhm, to clean your office? Anyway, Ramen is the best!" With how many free coupons he got, we'll be having our lunch at Ichiraku _again_ for 2 weeks. _I seriously don't know why I haven't quit this job._

Minutes passed as I stare outside, through the window, still trying to think about _our_ current situation. At the age of 25, and for once, I am clueless. She's right. I haven't been fully honest with her. But she knows me better than that. I just don't want her to worry. She's already been preoccupied with work and _her studies about the human body_. She's going to be a great doctor someday. She is kind, beautiful, strong, intelligent and - and I am a fool for taking her for granted. She deserves a lot more. And yes, I don't think I can give to her what she fully deserves. But Sakura, with her apple green eyes and her annoying pink hair and just everything about her. _I will miss her._ The only girl who I pay my attention to. The one who is so annoying to _remind me everyday just how lucky I am to have her_. Tch, and this idiot doesn't know when to stop talking.

"What's with you, bastard? You haven't drink your coffee yet. Ooh, did Sakura-chan keep you awake the whole night?"

"Yeah" Yes, but with a very different reason nothing like this idiot thought. _Annoying wife_. Well, not anymore after this day. _Of course, I don't want a divorce_. I am selfish. But I cannot let her suffer anymore.

"YOU! You better name your child after me! Naruto Uchiha. That kid would have been so handsome just like his godfather! You better tell me if she's already pregnant. I hope it's a boy! I can offer to babysit for a while! Baby Naruto! Ha, I look more excited than you!" I want to punch Naruto. I would like to tell him that nothing of that is ever going to happen. Not anymore. But he's still oblivious to what's going on lately and I want to keep this between Sakura and I as long as I can.

"Who told you I am going to name my son after you?"

"Of course, you will! I am your best friend! But hey, what's with that look? You look, I don't know, like tired, very tired, depressed-tired and not the happy-tired considering you spend the whole day with your wife." Damn Naruto and his way of knowing things when something's off.

After couple of minutes when I did not answer, everything suddenly tensed.

"Sasuke, what's wrong?" Tch. _This idiot_. He is using my name with that tone. This only means he's dead serious now. And that only happens twice or thrice in a year.

"We're getting a divorce." I know he won't leave me not until I tell him. So much for keeping this between Sakura and I. And yes, he is my best friend, for 2 years now since working here in Hyuuga Cars. _Don't ask me how._ Although I won't admit it to anyone.

"What did you do?"

"Tch, how is this my fault?"

"Oh, I just know! Knowing you, bastard! Fix this. You cannot just let her go."

"She wants this, idiot. She deserves her freedom." _Who am I to get in her way? I want her to be happy._

"You and I both know, you're going to make the _biggest mistake_ of your life. Sasuke, talk to her. You cannot shoulder all this burden all alone. You guys are married. Communication is everything."

"What are you-"

"You were drunk. You told me. I know _about your family._ And you also mentioned how important Sakura-chan is in your life. Oh, how you sound dramatic saying she changed you and the way you see the world. I would have laughed at you but I have seen _that look_ in your face. If divorce is what she wants, _what do you want_? I would have lectured you the whole day but the decision is all yours. Think."

With that, he left, with nothing but the sound of my office door closing.

* * *

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!"

"We're filing a divorce later. After work."

"You, forehead! Stupid! Do you want me to give birth right now?!" Ah yes, my best friend Ino is pregnant for 6 months now. Ooh, and I hope it's a girl. And her husband, Sai, is outside trying to find a chili-flavored ice cream for their baby. Good luck with that. _And they are happily married._

"Ino, it isn't working for us."

"But you do love him, right?"

"Of course, I do. I love him so much." _You have no idea._

"Then, don't."

"You do not understand. Everything's perfect between you and Sai. You guys are going to be parents soon and-"

"Sakura Haruno-Uchiha, you and I both know how Sasuke is. You, as his wife, should better know that. He _left Japan for you_. Traveled the Europe with you. He may not be the sweetest husband out there _but he loves you_." But before I could respond, Dr. Tsunade came back with Ino's check-up results.

"Looking good, Ino. The baby is very healthy and- Did I interrupt something?"

"Go on, tell her, Sakura."

"Well, Sakura?" Damn it, Ino. I should have kept my mouth shut. But then again, Ino is my sister from another mother. I can't keep something like this to her.

"Sasuke and I. We're getting a divorce." And Dr. Tsunade has practically became my mother once I took my internship here in Senju Hospital. Oh yes, I am on my way being Dr. Sakura Haruno- Uchiha. Oh right, Dr. Sakura Haruno then.

"Have you thought this over?" A thousand times. And every time I think of this, if I am doing what is right, my decision keeps on changing, I keep on faltering. Because he's the one who thought me how to be strong. He's the one who is constantly been there for me. His presence alone is what keeps me going. But-

"Yes, it's just that love cannot be the only foundation of this marriage. I just want him to be honest with me. I'm beyond tired with this kind of relationship. Something has been bothering him for a while now. I wake up with nothing but his discarded shirt beside me. He goes home very late at night and does not even say a word to me. I have tried to talk to him. Everyday! It has been like this for I don't know, 6 months? When I try to talk to him, it is as if he hasn't heard me at all. God, we haven't had sex for months! He doesn't even spare a glance on me. Is it me? He frustrates me because I so love him, it hurts so much." I am not really sure what's gotten into me but when your most favorite people, who knows basically everything about me, are there supporting you, you tend to pour your heart out. Because you know, they will understand. They will listen.

"Whatever happens, whatever you decide to do, Sakura. We'll be here for you." And those reassuring words is what I'm looking for as I hug them both closely and cry like a baby.

* * *

Biertan Fortified Church is so beautiful. I fell in love with it the first time I saw it while traveling with Sasuke.

 _"I want to get married here. It's really beautiful, Sasuke"_  
 _"We can get married wherever and whenever you want."_

As I stand in front of this church, I can't help but remember the first time I got to travel the Europe with the man I love the most. And I can't believe we're here again and for a different reason. _Can I really let him go?_ To be honest, I just want Sasuke to talk to me. And I am delusional for thinking that he will fight for us. For this.

* * *

"Are you two sure about this?" The head of the Church asking us for the nth time as soon as we told him we're filing a divorce. _My wife_ and I are currently in his office and all I want is for this to be over before I pull Sakura away and try to change her mind.

"Aa." And Sakura, she is quiet. She doesn't look at anything in particular. She looks uncomfortable sitting there like having a battle on her own, in her own little world.

"Well then, since you two have already decided. I guess I have no choice but to explain to you what happens to couples who decided to go separate ways." He excused himself for a minute trying to look for some document, opened his drawer and pulled out a paper that may I mention look so old by the way.

"As you see, for the past 300 years, this village had only one divorce. And I know you're wondering how is that possible." He looked up to the document and read it for awhile, maybe figuring out how to explain its content.

"Marriage is sacred. It's foundation is love, which I believe the most powerful thing in the world. That is why 300 years ago, the bishop and other persons given power decided that couples who wanted to break up had to live two weeks in a room with one small bed, one table, one chair, one spoon and one plate. And after two weeks, if the couple still choose to separate, well I guess we couldn't do anything about it."

"This is ridiculous." What the fuck is that? I live here for two years now and why do I have no knowledge of this. Right, since basically I do not know anything about this village. Nor the people living here. All I know when I married her is that I want to get as far away from Japan and to start a new life with Sakura. And yet, here we are, filing a divorce. And I don't have any idea why am I happy after hearing that. Yes, it is really ridiculous. But postponing this divorce, spending more time with Sakura, I am quite thankful for that.

"It is not. Because of this, we were able to reconcile thousands of married couples. You see, there are a lot of cases of divorce because of lack of communication, that this ridiculous thing as you say, has resolved."

* * *

I can't believe what I am hearing. Will Sasuke and I, do we really need to undergo this? Just like Sasuke, I wasn't informed about how do they handle divorce cases. But this, this is so unexpected and so so unique and clever at the same time. Who would think about that?

"Sasuke, it is just two weeks. We live together for two years." Trying to ignore the fact that we are going to _share basically everything_. He sighed. Well, we don't have any choice, do we?

"Okay, you two, sign this papers. I'll be back and arrange everything. Although, I do hope you still work things up in two weeks. What a lovely couple you are." He is really not helping us.

"I will call the hospital to let them know about this." I said, as soon as Rev. Olivarez left the room. Damn, if Dr. Tsunade wouldn't get mad. I hope she will understand since I am her _favorite_ apprentice.

"Aa. Me too. I will try to reason this out to Kakashi." Ah, yes, Kakashi, the Human Resource manager who is one of the million reasons why do we not see each other as often anymore and well, lead to this.

* * *

The next day, the couple was called to the Head office immediately to inform them that everything has already been taken care of and they are expected to be back by noon. As they pack their things, neither talk. You can hear nothing but the rustling of clothes and the tickling of the clock. Nothing is exchanged between the two, just like everyday for the past couple of months, until they arrived in the office.

"Ah,good. You're back. I see you still want to go on with this process. Come on, follow me."

* * *

Notes: Will try to update in 2 weeks but can't promise since I am going to be busy with school works :)


	3. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes** : Okay, I lied. Surprise, surprise. I actually have too many paper works, and yet, I still manage to update. I don't know how to prioritize obviously. Thank you for the wonderful reviews. Keep it coming. Reviews motivate the writer! And sorry for a few grammatical errors or so. I am actually so excited sometimes I do not profreed certain parts. Here's the chapter, enjoy! :)

* * *

 **CHAPTER 2 : Divorce like no other**

* * *

Indeed, it is a small room. There is a mini kitchen at the left corner. There is a fridge, a washing machine, a small round table, one chair and one small bed. It looks like my college dorm room back then. I seriously don't know how can one person fit in the bed. I bet Sasuke alone can barely fit in there.

I know the very reason for this kind of set up. It is for the couple to remember the things why they married each other. Its sole purpose is to _rekindle the flame_ in one's marriage. But the flame in our marriage has already _burned out_. And yet, I cling to that little hope that maybe it is not yet too late for us. You may say that it is foolish to think like that, but when you love someone, you do not just give second chances; _you give unlimited chances._

* * *

"Feel at home. You should not worry about anything except your relationship for the meantime. We've already arranged everything for you." My eyes scanned the room. This will be our home for the next 14 days.

"And so, I guess it's my time to leave you guys, alone. Oh, and before I forget, no fighting. May I remind you, you're in a church. See you in two weeks."

As soon as Rev. Olivarez left, things got awkward. Very awkward. I mean, so what now? How am I suppose to act? All I want to do is run far, far away wherein I can no longer go back. I do not know if I should initiate a conversation with Sasuke. But, I will surely be insane after 2 weeks if it continues like this. My husband is capable of being silent for a long period of time. He rarely talks. That is him, and I am different. I certainly cannot bear silence. I tend to express myself and try to appease an ongoing tension. And, that is going to be a major problem.

"Uhm, well, I've been thinking. We should assign tasks. You know, uhm, household chores. I can cook; you can wash the-"

"Sakura"

"Yes?"

"I think we have a problem here" As soon as I look into the direction on where he's looking, I can't help but feel uncomfortable. Of course, with that small bed, sleeping arrangement will be a big problem. It was never a problem for us before since the bed back home is so big. Three people can even sleep there.

"You can sleep here."

"What? No, Sasuke, you take the bed."

"Don't be stubborn."

"Then, where are you going to sleep?"

"That is not your concern anymore."

"What? Yes, it is! I will not be able to sleep knowing you are not comfortable."

"Would you prefer sleeping beside me?" Do I mind? Will it be okay for us to share the small bed? This sounds ridiculous, _but I want to_. And before I could think, Sasuke hasn't given me a chance to respond.

"Let's just decide later. I'll unpack my things."

He went to get his bag and started unpacking his clothes. A few minutes of silence and I just couldn't shut my mouth.

"What do you want to eat? I mean, later, for dinner."

"Anything will be fine." He replied without bothering to glance at me.

I sighed and started unpacking as well. As I sat beside him on the floor, there would be times wherein my hand would brush on his. He continues arranging his things as well as helping me with mine. This feeling. I feel butterflies in my stomach as I observe him. He really is handsome, with his onyx eyes that can see through anything, his jaw line, his hair that sticks up in the back, but he looks so stressed. There are bags under his eyes. He looks like he hasn't slept for a week. Still, he is beautiful and so, so _perfect_. Sure, there are changes in his physical appearance, but he just became manlier. _(sexier)_

"What? Your face is red. Are you okay? You aren't sick, are you?" It is evident on the expression of his face that indeed, he is worried.

"Eh? N-no."

"You keep on looking at me. Is there something in my face?"

"I-uhh. No." I have not noticed that I've been openly staring _(ogling)_ at him. And seriously, Sakura? Blushing like a teenager, you are better than that. You guys are getting a divorce for heaven's sake. Sakura, damn it, keep it together.

* * *

Night came; I decided to make dinner. I was currently chopping tomatoes when I suddenly felt a presence behind me.

"What's for dinner?"

"Sasuke! You gave me a heart attack! Stop doing that!"

"Tch, you cannot really take care of yourself." As soon as his words registered in my head; only then that I realized that there is a stinging pain somewhere in my left hand. I cut my ring finger.

He brought my hand near the faucet, and he let the running water wash away the blood. I can't help but notice that he still wears our wedding ring. Now, I know that I'm not the only one who still wears it.

"You're still wearing it."

"Wearing what?"

"Our wedding ring" Once the bleeding has stopped; he applied a bandage around the cut.

"You're also wearing it." I smiled. I know that things aren't really looking good for us, but at least I know that he still acknowledges our marriage. And for me, that is more than enough.

* * *

"Here. I made your favorite. (Rice with salmon and tomatoes)" I convince myself that I'm only doing this since there are a lot of tomatoes in there, truth to be told, I want to _make him happy_. And this has been our first dinner together for months. I want to make it special. I want him to remember this past few days that we're still together. This is like a goodbye, and I just want us to separate on good terms.

"Aa. Thank you." As he sat on the chair, he looked confused, like contemplating for something.

"Hey, what's wrong? Don't you like it? Oh, sorry, I'll just-"

"No. The food is fine."

"Then, what's the problem?"

"Are you just going stand there while I eat?" Oh. It is the Sasuke Uchiha's way of inviting you to dinner.

"I'm going to eat after you finished." I mean, there is only one spoon and one plate.

"We can share." What? Did I hear it right? Before I could reply, he has already made up his mind.

"Let's just share. I keep on hearing your stomach growling." Does he really need to point it out? God, I am so embarrassed. Come on, we've done this before. Inner me, trying to reason this out. The thing is, this is a whole lot different from back then. We were in love; it is no big deal to share with one plate and one spoon.

"It is okay, Sakura." Right, I am the only one who complicates things. I am the only one who gives special meaning to every single damn thing.

* * *

I have no idea if she notices how I try as much as possible to close the distance between us. All I know is that I _miss_ my wife. And, now is the only time that I realize how much I've been missing from her. Her eyes. Her hair. Her voice. Her smile. Her mannerisms. And just every little thing about her.

As I stood up and lead her to the chair, I already knew she was going to object.

"Sasuke, it's fine."

"Shh. Let's eat." I really don't know what I am doing. I sat in the chair and pulled her into my lap. As expected, her eyes widened. She looks so surprised and flustered.

"Hey! Hey, what do you think you're doing?" She tried to get up, but I did not let her. She looks so cute when she blushes like that. As my grip on her hips tightened; her face turned so red.

"Sasuke, really-" I shove the spoon inside her mouth to not let her protest anymore. She looks adorable chewing like that while blushing.

"Just eat, Sakura." Maybe, I just want to let her know that I care. I do care. _I care too much about her._ Whatever happens in the next two weeks, I want her to feel like she has a husband. That for once, I acted like a husband to her. Yes, it is too late for that. All I have is this two weeks; I've got to make it count. I've got to correct the mistakes I have committed for the last 5 years being with her. She needs someone who will constantly be there for her. I want _that someone to be me_ even just for this two weeks. I would like to let her know that this marriage is not meaningless; this marriage has made me happy at a point in time, and I hope she felt happy too, with me.

* * *

It is only Day 1, and my resolve has already been faltering _again_. What is going on in his mind? I know I should not be bothered, but what we're doing can lead exactly to what Rev. Olivarez expects. _To stay together._ And, that terrifies me even more.

As I try to focus on the food, not on his hand on my hip nor how close we are at the moment (failing miserably), I am trying to reason out his bold movements this day. Maybe, it is the tomato. Maybe, he's just happy I made his favorite food. He just acts so sweet all of a sudden, putting bandage around my wound like I cannot take care of myself where in fact I am going to be a doctor, and now this, feeding me like we're newly married couple. It is scary, but I feel content sitting on his lap. It is scary that he will just hurt me again because, to be honest, I don't think whatever he's doing is helping us. We will just both get hurt in the end.

"Sasuke, why are you doing this?"

"Doing what? Feeding you? You're hungry and-"

"You know what I mean."

I kind of expected his reply, but that does not mean it no longer hurt. God, it hurts. "I already told you. This is no big deal. This is nothing."

Neither of us spoke for a long time. You can feel the tension cut through thin air. After like eternity, I stood up.

"I am no longer hungry. Thank you." And with that, I stormed off and went for a shower to clear my thoughts.

* * *

As I prepare to go to sleep, I feel helpless and very stupid for saying the wrong, wrong things to her. Every damn time. I have not meant it; clearly she misunderstood me once again. It is no big deal since it feels natural for me to do so; I am just being what a husband should be. It is nothing. It is nothing because I do not exert any effort at all. I do it on my instinct. Like I said, I have no idea what I am doing. I do not think. I just act. With Sakura, I cannot control what I feel. She makes me weak and strong at the same time. This is how complicated things are.

She's already lying down in the bed with her back facing me. I slip into the bed cautiously and pretend that I do not hear her quiet sobs.

All I want to do is hug her and explain every single thing to her. I want to let her know what I truly feel, but I always, always fucked up.

Looks like I will not be having any sleep again for tonight.

* * *

Notes: Don't forget to leave a review :)


	4. Chapter 3

Author's Notes: I have been busy for a while, but I do hope you find this chapter interesting enough. We've been having internet disruptions lately that is why I failed to update right away. This is quite short compared to the other chapters, but I assure you, you will be more intrigued on Sasuke's family. Nonetheless, enjoy!

* * *

 **CHAPTER 3 : Divorce like no other**

* * *

When I woke up the next morning, the only thing that I noticed is that it is incredibly warm. As I try to open my eyes, I can't help but to close it again due to the blinding brightness piercing through the window. As I let my eyes adjust with the brightness of the room, I look over my surroundings. At first, I panicked; I will be late for work. _Where is my damn alarm clock? It's already 8 in the morning. Where am I anyways? Was I drunk again last night? I can't remember._ I try to sit up, but something is holding me down. And that is when I come to realize that there is no work for a few days; there is only Sakura and I. She is sleeping quite peacefully; her head is buried in my chest. I relax then and put my arms around her waist. As soon as she wakes up, I cannot hold her like this anymore. Might as well savor the time remaining and go back to sleep.

After a good 10 minutes, she winced and opened up her eyes. For a moment; I couldn't think; I did not remove my arms either. Neither speak for a while. I looked away as she did. I think of what can I tell her to get out of this mess. Before I can say anything, she tried to sit up; I did not let her.

"Sasuke?"

"Let's just stay like this for a while." I'm tired. All I know is that I miss her, and I am so, so stupid for not taking care of her, for thinking that she will always be there. She's not. She's tired; I can tell. I do not blame her. _I am selfish._ I do not think of the consequences of my actions. I still want things to work out between us. But if I really want things to go back the way they used to before, I have to be completely honest with her. I have to trust her. The things is, am I ready to talk to her about my family?

* * *

"Sorry" He's apologizing. For what exactly? For last night? For avoiding for the past few months? For not being truly honest?

"Why" It's hard for me to keep my resolve when he's holding me like this, like his life depends on me. Many nights I have dreamed of mornings like this, to be able to wake up next to the man of my dreams _(just like before)_ , to be able to wake up with his face, the first thing I see.

"I was harsh. Did not think of what I said last night." I did not say anything for a while. I just listen to the sound of his heart beating. And God, I will do everything just to stay like this forever.

"Sakura, I know I have not been a good husband to you. I want you to understand. I am asking for a little time." He paused for a while. Honestly, I am quite surprised to be hearing Sasuke talking like this. He looked so tired, so worn out. The bags under his eyes says he wasn't able to sleep for a week, at least.

"I- I care, Sakura. More than you could ever think." He averted his eyes then, maybe embarrassed or something. Before he could say anything, I already spoke.

"I don't feel like it. For months, that is." I gathered my thoughts for a while and tried to simplify things between us.

"You know, if you still want our marriage to work out, you have to open up to me. Sasuke, you can trust me. I'm your wife. I promise I will be here. Whatever that is." I sat up and put both of my hands on his cheeks to have him look at me.

"Sasuke. Hey. Look at me. Look into my eyes." He looked at me then, and I was really taken aback on how many conflicting emotions I saw in his eyes alone. For once I see that he's confused, and what is that? Maybe regret.

"I love you. I care about you too. I care too much actually and -" He leaned his forehead on mine. I tried to talk, but he pressed his lips on my forehead, on my nose, and on my lips. I kissed him back, like we have not seen each other for years, like it's only me and him at the moment.

* * *

I don't know what came over me, but all I know is that this annoying woman is my life now. And I don't, I can't imagine my life without her anymore. And this kiss is to reassure her that she's not a nobody. She is everything I could possibly hope for. She, who have loved the broken boy back then, still loves me unconditionally. As I pull away and looked into her, there are tears in her eyes. I used my thumb to dry those tears and to comfort her.

"I miss you. God, I miss you, Sasuke. You have no idea that-"

"Shhh. I am here." She is so beautiful. Her green eyes conveys so many emotions.

"Want me to cook breakfast?" I nodded. She got up and proceeded to the mini kitchen. I trailed behind her to look up to what she's preparing. It amazed me how she look so happy just after a kiss. Her eyes sparkle like I've never seen it before. She opened the fridge to get some ingredients and set the pan on the stove.

While she was busy cooking, I hugged her from behind, and it made her smile the brightest

"Hey handsome, you're distracting me."

"Hn." I know things aren't really okay between us. There are still a lot to talk about. But for now, I will make sure that she's happy. With me. I will make sure to let my presence known in her life. This time, I hope that I'll set things right.

* * *

Sasuke is already sitting on the chair waiting for the breakfast (eggs and bacon) to be served. I set our plate on the table, sat on his lap just like the night prior. He automatically put his left arm around my waist to steady me. Neither of us talk, but I smile the whole time while feeding him. I might also add that there are hugs and kisses there and there while we wash the dishes together.

He is on the bed, reading some book. I sat next to him and leaned my head on his shoulder.

"What are you reading?"

"Just some novel. Just to pass time."

"Oh. Okay then. I'm gonna go take a shower." I attempted to stand up, but once again, he did not let me.

"Let's take a shower then. Come."

"Haha! Nice try, Mister. I'm gonna go shower alone."

"Tch, come on Sakura." It's funny how he is so worked up just by the idea of taking a shower together. Well, if we do so, we will surely end up doing that. And I do think that before we proceed, we should talk first. We should clear things up.

"Behave, Sasuke. I'll be right back." I giggled and left him with a wink.

They say that the best place where to think is in the shower. I have to admit I may have been unfair to him. Ino's right. I am his wife. I should be the one to understand him. To be honest, I actually feel guilty for doubting him. I thought that he's been with someone else. I thought that was the reason for him coming home late every night. But when I look into his eyes especially after the kiss, all I see is his sincerity. For him to talk and try, it already means a lot. We've been through so much that I know I acted impulsively filing a divorce. I am lucky I still have this chance. Whatever that it is that's been bothering him for months, I promise to be here with him all the way.

* * *

While Sakura is still in the shower, I try to reflect Naruto's words on me when I told him about the two-week arrangement. _You better not screw this up, Bastard!_ His exact same words. Then again, how can I tell her something like this? Will it change anything if tell her? And that idiot, Naruto told me about the night where I drunk a lot.

" _Hey bastard, you're so drunk! Sakura-chan's gonna be so mad!"_

" _She'll be angrier if she finds out."_

" _Find out what?"_

" _I have to go back to Japan. Itachi, my elder brother, cannot cover for me anymore."_

" _What do you mean by that exactly?"_

" _My family. They don't know about Sakura. They don't know I'm married already. Itachi told them I am just working overseas to gain more experience. I know it's stupid running away like that. But I cannot leave her. She has changed me."_

" _You love her. Fight for her."_

" _It's not that simple. You know nothing about my family. I'm scared on what they will do to Sakura after they find out."_

" _But I know you! What are you going to do?"_

" _I have no idea. This is just so fucked up. I just want to forget. Even just for a few hours."_

(Sakura, I have to go back to Japan. You see, I have to take over our company. They don't know I'm already married. My mother would have been shocked, but she would definitely like you. Itachi already knew. He is the big brother who supports you come what may. My father and Uncle Madara. They are the issue here. They already selected someone for me to marry. Technically, I was already engaged when you and I got married.)

How can I fucking tell her that? It will surely ruin us. The chances are we'll ended up divorced as soon as she finds out. I admit I act without thinking of the consequences, but admitting it is not enough. It already happened. The only thing I have to do is tell her and figure things out after.

* * *

Time passed; we're already in bed. She's on top of me, initiating conversations occasionally.

"Darling?"

"Hm?"

"I don't mean to pressure you. I'm just letting you know that whenever you're ready, I will be here to listen."

"Aa. Thank you." I just hope I'll be able to tell her in two weeks. I hope I'll have the courage to tell her. For keeping an important thing like this, forgiveness is only thing I yearn for.

Sleep came without trouble after weeks.

* * *

Notes: Review pls. :) Oh, and Happy Mother's Day to your mom!


	5. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes:** Sorry for the long wait. I'd been very busy these past few weeks (from finals to internship). I hope that I'll be able to find time to write now that this sem is over. This chapter is going to feature a flashback on how Sakura and Sasuke met. Enjoy! :)

* * *

 **CHAPTER 4: Divorce Like No Other**

* * *

He indeed looks so handsome. Who could even blame me for suspecting him with another? I mean, he can have any woman he wants, and yet, he settled down with me. He is successful, intelligent, young man. He's got everything. He's _perfect._ Okay, maybe not, but _I am the luckiest woman_ for having him as my husband.

While waiting for him to wake up, I gaze upon his beautiful face. I suddenly remembered when things were still simple. How we first met, how everyone looks so jealous whenever we pass by the hallways (He's just really popular) and how things turned out to be.

* * *

 _Damn if I fail this exam! And God, how annoying to have a lot of students here in the library. Seriously, Konoha University should invest in more tables and chairs for its students._

 _As I scan every single table, I finally found a vacant one. I sprinted towards it just for someone to got ahead of me and almost knocked me over. Oh no you didn't!_

" _YOU! Didn't your parents teach you how to treat women?!"_

" _Hn. It is not my fault you're so clumsy."_

 _Can this day get any worse?! I tried to calm myself so as to not disturb the other students. As I check him out, okay, I've got to admit, he's hot. He has this stunning onyx eyes and his jaw that says masculinity. He's also very tall. Yeah, tall, dark and handsome. And, have you seen his skin? How can someone be so flawless? But hell, he's arrogant and rude!_

" _Excuse me?"_

" _You heard." He sat down on the vacant seat. This_ _hot jerk_ _is so damn frustrating._

" _Mister, if your parents haven't told you, well, in that case, might as well I tell you! It's rude to shove a woman like that! It's even a common courtesy to let ladies first in everything. And besides, I got here first if you just haven't exerted extra force!"_

" _Tch. Can't you see I'm studying? It's also common courtesy to shut up when it is needed."_

" _WHY YOU-" I was ready to strangle him when the librarian approached us._

" _Ms. Haruno? Is there a problem here?"_

" _Oh. Oh no, Maam. You see, I'm just finding a vacant seat for me to read." Right, the librarian, Mrs. Cruz, knows me already._ _I basically live here in the library._

" _Mr. Uchiha? Do you mind sharing the table with Ms. Haruno? I can just ask someone to get an extra chair." Hot jerk did not respond, and Mrs. Cruz took it as a sign that it is fine. He glared at me, and I glared back._

" _Here's the extra chair. Study well. Good luck on your exams! Both of you."_

 _I didn't want to share MY table with hot jerk, but did I have a choice? And I only got an hour and a half to study for my exam in General Botany. I sat then and busied myself highlighting the key ideas._

* * *

 _As I go to the library everyday, I have noticed that hot jerk often visits the library too. He really looks so handsome especially when he's concentrating. I wonder what his major. Perhaps law? Engineering?_

 _I didn't notice that I've been openly staring at him for so long. He's looking at me with his eyebrows up, probably wondering why the hell I've been ogling him. He stood up and walked towards my seat. He stopped and whispered something that left my mouth hanging._

" _Hn. If you keep on staring at me like that everyday, Ms. Haruno, I could never concentrate." Before I could even process what he said, he had already left with a smirk on his face._

 _That- That hot jerk! All I want to do is to punch his handsome face and wipe off that sexy smirk!_

* * *

From that constant bickering in the library to going to classes together to late night escapades. Sure, we had fights now and then. And -

"Hm. What are you thinking about? "

"Oh-oh. You're awake. Well, I'm just thinking about back then, when things were just simple."

" You mean when you constantly steal a glance at me in the library?"

"Tch, admit it. You thought I looked pretty too."

"No. What I thought was you were annoying. Still is."

"Whatever you say. I'm gonna go make some coffee."

With that, I sat up and proceeded in the mini kitchen. While preparing for our breakfast, I wonder how long will we ever stay like this. Like we don't have any trust issues, like we are teenagers in love. Sasuke is sure a hell lot to understand. He barely communicates with others. Truth to be told, he only have four contacts on his phone. One is his best friend and colleage, Uzumaki Naruto. Second, his supervisor, Hatake Kakashi. Third, his brother, Uchiha Itachi. And, me, his wife, Uchiha Sakura.

I know that it is just him. He barely talks. And among the four people who he constantly interact with, I hope that he will soon open up to me. It's frustrating that after 5 years, I feel like I still do not know him. Sure, I met Itachi, told me stories about how caring his mother is, but he always refused to let me meet his father. I know they own the largest company back in Tokyo, and probably his father's busy. Still, I am his girlfriend back then. First and last. _Hopefully_. I know there's something he isn't telling me that lead us to _this_. To be honest, I don't want to separate ways. I just want attention. I want to let him know that I am not going to be there every time. I want to be part of his life. I just want him to realize that no matter how much I love him, I also get tired.

* * *

" _I'm home."_

" _I heard that you've been spending a lot of time with this girl. Sakura? She must be pretty."_

" _She's a friend, Mom."_

" _Sure, honey. Can I meet her?"_

" _Mom-"_

" _What do you think fooling around with a girl?" Fugaku heard enough to interrupt the conversation._

" _We're just friends. End of story."_

" _Sasuke, you know you're going to marry Yumi, right? We talked about this."_

" _Fugaku, you cannot just let our Sasuke marry a stranger. He should choose whoever he loves."_

 _With that, Sasuke left to his bedroom, thinking about how he really feels about the whole situation. He is going to graduate next year. Meaning, no more Sakura. No more annoying, beautiful Sakura. For the past 2 years, she became one of the most important people in his life. He does not know what they are. It is clear they're more than friends, but I guess they are too scared to talk about it._

 _Studying together. Hanging out in Sasuke's dorm._ _Flirting_ _. Hugs._

* * *

" _Stop hugging me, you annoying woman."_

" _Hmmm. I know you like it. Besides, I'm the only one who gets to hug you. With your attitude, I think you really need more hugs. Maybe, you'll stop scowling."_

 _They are currently lying on his bed. Sasuke, reading a book and Sakura, doing God knows what._

" _Tch, just stop moving"_

* * *

" _WHAT REALLY AM I TO YOU HUH?!"_

" _Calm down."_

" _No! I am not going to calm down! You! You just think of yourself. I am so tired just being with you!"_

" _Then leave. Stop acting like you're my girlfriend." Before Sasuke can take back what he said, Sakura already left his dorm without saying a word._

* * *

" _Sakura, come on, I know you're in there. Fine. I'm sorry. And you know I don't say sorry to anyone. Sakura, open the door." Sasuke knocked on the door for the eighth time._

" _Sakura, hey -" The door abruptly opened, and in front of him is a raging Sakura._

" _What are you doing here?"_

" _Let's talk."_

" _There is nothing to talk about. You made it all clear the other day. So if you'll just excuse me, I am busy." Before she can shut the door in his face, Sasuke barged inside._

" _We. Are. Going. To. Talk."_

" _Fine! You always get what you want anyways. Go ahead your highness, feel at home!"_

" _If you would just listen to me, and shut up."_

" _What do you expect huh? That things will be okay after that? That I can just forgive and forget? Do you realize what you told me? I am tired, Sasuke." She paused to wipe the tears from her face._

" _Sasuke, just tell me what to do. I- I try to understand you, but you have to consider my feelings too. I get that you-" He did not let her finish for he pulled her close to him._

" _Sasuke, what are you-"_

 _He kissed her. It was their first. And Sakura couldn't explain how she felt back then. All of her frustrations gone. Maybe, that was what they need all along._

" _Do you get in now?"_

* * *

" _You are going to meet Yumi tomorrow evening. Her father is a colleague of mine. They own one of the biggest corporations in Osaka. You already know this."_

 _That kept on repeating in Sasuke's head since early in the morning. He knew all along that this day will come, and yet, he was still unprepared how to respond. While he was preoccupied with his thoughts, Sakura pecked him on the cheek._

" _You look distracted. What's going on?"_

" _Marry me."_

" _What? Haha, Typical marriage proposal coming from you. I should've known before agreeing to be your girlfriend."_

" _I'm serious. After we graduate, let's move to Europe. You can continue your internship to be a doctor there, like you always wanted."_

" _Wait. You really are serious. But Sasuke-"_

" _Will you marry me?"_

" _Of course, you idiot."_

* * *

" _Father, I want to postpone the marriage for a while. I want to gain more experience by working overseas. If you would just let me."_

" _Hm, it's good you're thinking about the future. I guess I could allow it for three to five years. Then, you could take over, and be the president of Uchiha corp." After Sasuke left his father's office, Itachi intercepted him all the way out._

" _Explain, little brother."_

" _There is nothing to explain."_

" _You were always oppose to taking over the company. Why the sudden interest now. What about Sakura?" Sasuke did not speak for a while._

" _What are you planning? Speak."_

" _Tch, mind your own business."_

" _It is my business what my beloved brother is doing with his life. Are you planning to run away?"_

" _I am not running away."_

" _You are. You are going to take Sakura with you." Sasuke sighed._

" _I understand, Sasuke, but let me warn you this is only a temporary solution. I will be here to help you. Just tell me everything you need."_

 _"I am marrying Sakura."_

 _"Good."_

* * *

"Sakura"

"Yes, love?"

"I am ready."

* * *

Notes: Reviews are highly appreciated. See you! :)


	6. Chapter 5

**Author's Notes:** Suprise? Some of you pointed out that you were expecting Karin to be Sasuke's fiancee. I considered it at first, but I don't want to make Karin the main antagonist. I want this story to evolve around how Sasuke and Sakura make their decisions. I don't know yet if how many chapters do I have to write, but I already have an idea how this story will end. I want to thank the people who continuously read this first fanfic I ever wrote. You guys are the best!

* * *

 **Chapter 5 : Divorce Like No Other**

It's not easy telling her about this fucked up situation, but I did. Whatever her decision is, I'll respect it. This all happened because of my selfish desires in the first place.

"So you're saying you have a fiancee waiting for you back in Japan?"

"I haven't met her."

"That's not the point."

A heavy silence fell upon the couple. Sasuke expected to hear some curses. He expected her to cry, scream, throw things at him. Hell, he even expected her to file a divorce right away. But this, this silence is unbearable.

"Say something. Anything."

"I don't know what to say. I could tell you that we should have solved this problem together, that you fucked this all up. I could blame you. But I won't. Sasuke, to be honest, I don't know what to feel. My mind went blank after all the explanation you made."

She is surprisingly calm, but maybe she is confused. It is a lot to take in.

"What do you plan to do?"

"Sakura, I- I- "

"What are you going to do? Should we proceed in this divorce?"

"No."

"Then what. Tell me exactly. Sasuke, you do not trust me enough to tell me things that we could have solved together. For one week that we're staying here, nothing has changed. And if I haven't filed a goddamn divorce, who knows when you're going to tell me. Two years. We're married for two years. Known each other for five years. So why. Why can't you trust me? Sooner or later, we will face these kind of problems again."

"You know me."

"Do I really?" After a minute or two, Sakura couldn't take the long silence between them.

" I- I need to think." She stood up and headed to the bathroom.

* * *

Itachi wanted to help his brother. He wanted to tell their father that what he's doing to Sasuke is wrong, that instead of his little brother, why don't he give the company to him, the first born. But also, he knows that it is impossible. Their father knows that he may have been the perfect one, but Sasuke is the perfect one for the company.

" _Itachi, I will let Sasuke take over the company once he graduated from college. You, instead, will be there to guide him along his way. I want you to pursue what you want. Be a lawyer. Make me proud."_

Their father wants him to be the lawyer for the company- to protect its name, and to protect Sasuke as well. Fugaku is a genius too. He knows his sons'capabilities, their potentials. That is how Sasuke ended up being the heir of the Uchiha corp.

Itachi never wanted the company too, but now, he should think about Sasuke as well.

* * *

"Father."

"Ah, Itachi. Have you called Sasuke? I want him to come back. I don't think I will be able to be the president for so long. You know what the doctor said."

"About that. Don't you think it is best if I take over?"

"What are you saying? You are there to protect the company from the inside."

"I understand your wishes, but Sasuke had always wanted to be an engineer. He only took up Economics because you told him to. Unlike me, he always wanted your attention. He obeyed you to make you proud. I hope that you reconsider and-"

"Itachi. Call Sasuke."

Perhaps it is not the best approach. Itachi knows his father loves Sasuke that is why he's doing what he's doing. Unlike him, Sasuke never disobeyed Father, never disrespected him. One of the reasons why he prefers Sasuke to take over. But little did Father know, Sasuke disobeyed him a hundred times just to be with Sakura. Things got really complicated.

* * *

"Hello?"

"Ah, Sakura. Where's Sasuke? I heard you're filing a divorce."

"Itachi! Oh ah- About that. Well, Sasuke's taking a shower."

"I hope you won't give up on him."

"He just told me everything."

"But you still love him, right?"

"I guess so. But will it solve everything?"

After a few minutes, Sasuke got out of the shower, curious who Sakura is talking to.

"I heard my phone ringing. Who is it?"

"Itachi."

"What did he say?"

"I told him I can pass the message, but he said he wants to talk you. You should call him back. Then let's talk."

* * *

While waiting for Sasuke, Sakura tried to distract herself by reading a book. She's by the window on their bed, reading the first page all over again.

"I just talked to Itachi. Father wants me to go back immediately."

"You should go."

"You're coming with me."

"And who told you I am?"

"We'll solve this."

"The solution is here. We can just wait for a week. All of these will be over. You're going back to Japan, be the successor of Uchiha Corp, marry that woman, and I can be a doctor here. Perfect!"

"Is that really what you want? " Sasuke sat on the edge of the bed, careful to put enough distance between them.

"I- I- Yes! You turn my life upside down. Don't look at me like that. Don't feel guilty when you know the consequences of your actions." She heaved a heavy sigh and proceeded.

"I hope that whenever we see each other again, I can look at you with a smile. You made me happy for the past years, and even if it didn't work out for us, I am thankful to have met you. You're a great person, Sasuke. I know you're going to be a successful businessman. I love you." She cupped his face and kissed his forehead.

"Don't leave me." She shooked her head no.

"I thought about this, and I want to think about my well-being from now on. You taught me a lot of things. I am so lucky to have you." He used his thumb to wipe her tears away. He told himself a hundred times that day that he'll respect her decision, but nothing has prepared him for the pain that he's been experiencing at the moment. He feels like his heart being crashed down.

"Don't do this. I'll talk to Father. I don't care about the company."

"Sasuke, listen to me. Sometimes we have to make difficult decisions. It is the best for us. _Your father's sick_. Stressing him will be bad for his condition. Of course, it will be hard finding the strength to live without you. I'll miss you so much, but sometimes you have to walk away from what you want to find what you deserve." He kissed her. Once his lips met hers, she felt like she needs to give him one more chance. She knows she would be miserable without him.

* * *

She knows sleeping with him is not going to help either of them. It is already one oclock in the morning. They only have 6 days remaining in this room. Their lovemaking was bittersweet. For the first time, Sakura felt loved, Sasuke whispering reassuring words all throughout.

Sasuke, like a child who doesn't want to let go of his favorite toy, had his arms around Sakura tightly. She is wide awake staring up in the ceiling thinking what should she really do. She's been emotionally exhausted for the past week being with Sasuke alone. It is an emotional rollercoaster for her.

Someone help her clear her mind. She's afraid to make a decision. There are a lot of what ifs, and she wants to know what is. She realized that she'd given him unlimited chances that he doesn't even deserve, and every time, it is her heart that gets broken.

* * *

Sasuke woke up first the day after. He's been awake for a while, just staring at his wife's beautiful face. He kissed her cheek. She opened her bright emerald eyes, and Sasuke wished to see those eyes every morning.

"Hey." Sasuke spoke after her eyes adjusted to the sunlight.

"Hey. I-uhh, I'd been thinking. Can we just stay like this until this week's over? I- I know that it will be harder for us to part, but I just want to have more memories of you before we separate for good."

"Sakura."

"I have an idea of what you're going to tell me. We have to free ourselves, Sasuke. We're clearly a mess. We tried, all right. That is the most important thing. Please respect my decision. I want to find myself. I want to know what I really want to do with my life without considering other things. For once, I will be selfish. It will be me first in every aspect after this week." He pulled her into his arms and whispered into her ear.

"Sakura, thank you. For everything." She buried her face into his chest and listened to every beat of his heart.

* * *

Days passed. They discovered more things about each other.

"You never told me you wanted to be an engineer."

"Doesn't matter. My whole life has been planned anyways."

"Really? Then, did you know you'll meet me?"

"Tch. You're annoying. Nothing has prepared me for someone like you."

"Of course, I'm so pretty you didn't expect to meet someone who's kind, beautiful, intelli-"

"You're perfect." She blushed like a teenager who's been complimented by her long-time crush.

* * *

Sakura is currently sitting on Sasuke's lap, reading some documents Itachi has sent him the previous week.

"Tch, you're so clingy."

"I'm sure you'll miss my hugs and kisses."

"You're distracting me. I'm studying the income statement of the Uchiha corp. for the past year. Father has been bugging Itachi for the past two months. I see that the company is not doing good in their sales."

"Sasuke."

"What."

"I know you don't like what you're doing. I just hope that one day, you'll be happy. Find something that makes you happy."

"I am happy. With you."

"Don't say things like that. It's not you."

"You make me happy."

* * *

"Two weeks barely gone, huh? We only have 3 days left. Can you imagine? What should we do? Can I ask Itachi about your pictures when you're still a kid? I bet you're so cute."

"..."

"I am happy, Sasuke. To have this time with you. I think I understand you better. I've learned things about you. I wish it doesn't have to end this way."

"Sakura."

"Yes? Why so serious all of a sudden. Haha, hey, what's with that look? Are you sick?"

"Please."

"Huh? Hey-"

"Let's go back to Japan. Just- Let's try one last time."

* * *

Notes: Sorry, a bit rushed. Review please? :)


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter** **6** **: Divorce Like No Other**

* * *

"Didn't I make myself clear last time? Sasuke, we've talked about this. You said you'll respect my decision. What is this again."

"Can you? Can you really just forget about everything?"

"Do I have to explain all over again?"

"You explained. I haven't. Yes, I fucked it all up. And yes, I don't deserve you, but you deserve me. You love me." With that, Sakura snorted.

"How can you be so confident? After everything you did? Look, Sasuke, I don't want to fight."

"I am trying to set things right for the first time."

"It's too late."

"All I'm asking you is this one last time. After this, I promise, you'll be free."

"You've already taken a lot of chances without even asking for it."

"So? I take it that we should just take the easy way." He has no idea what came over him, but he suddenly feel angry.

"Easy?! Do you think that this is easy for me?"

"Seems like it."

"God, Sasuke, can you hear yourself?! I asked you to just please consider my feelings for the last week we're together, and here you go again, saying things that are unnecessary. It's easy?! Really? Then I should've done this a long time ago. But no! I suck this all up. For you! And this is why we should have not been together in the first place." Sakura tried to open the door. She kept on hitting it until Sasuke stopped her.

"LET ME OUT! WE'RE FILING A DIVORCE! NOW!"

"Tch, stop it. Calm down."

"Calm down?! I am so sick of you bitching me around! Guess what, Sasuke, you may have thought that I'll never leave you. Well, I am done. I am so done with you." She tried hitting on him as well, but every time, Sasuke catches her hand before it landed on his face.

"YOU! You really frustrate me, you asshole! Why do I even love you?! Ugh!" She tried to slap him once more, but he pulled her hand and kissed her. She pushed him away without a second thought.

"No! You have no right to kiss me!"

"SHUT UP!"

"Do you think that if you kiss me, all of a sudden I'll just change my mind? It doesn't work that way! It's over!" She's been exhausted. She doesn't even know if her decision is the right one, and here he is again, trying to crumble out her resolve.

"I love you, you idiot. How can that be so easy?" She cried out for the nth time this week. She lowered her head and buried her face into his chest.

Sasuke planned to convince her, however, it ended to another fight. It may have been the end for them. As he listened to the sound of her soft whimpers, he can't help but to get mad at himself. For doing this to her. All he does is to make her suffer. He realized that she deserves someone better. Someone who will appreciate her more, someone who will never make her cry.

He put his arms around her waist. "I'm a failure as a husband." He said right into her left ear.

"Just promise me this. You will find someone who will never make you cry like I did. That you'll be happy. I was selfish and I was ignorant to you and your feelings. I never meant for this to happen, I never wanted to push you away." Sakura looked up to him.

"Stay beautiful."

* * *

They were in Father Olivarez's office again. For three days, neither of them talked that much. They simply held hands, did things together, ignoring the fact that soon, they won't be able to do anything together again.

"This is the first time this ever happens."

A deep sigh escaped Sasuke's lips. "On a brighter side, you guys made a history." Father Olivarez said after Sakura explained the unfortunate circumstances.

"Sit down. Wait for me, I have to prepare your documents." Once he was out of the room, Sakura couldn't take it and poured her heart out.

"I am sorry. You told me that you were a failure as a husband. However, I guess I am a failure as a wife too. You were always hard to deal with, stubborn most of the time, but I learned to love that about you. What I so badly wanted you to see is that I am the girl who will be there for you when you need reminding how amazing you are, because life has you convinced otherwise. Know that when I remember you, it will be paired with a smile on my face. I deserve to be happy… but so do you. Though the end of us is for the best, you will always be the love of my life." A tear escaped her right eye.

"Sasuke, I love you. I will always do." Sasuke stood up and cupped her cheeks. He kissed her forehead.

"I- I love you. I think you deserve to hear it from me." Sasuke's been trying to tell her that for two weeks. He never said it to her even once. Only now he got the courage to say it when it's over.

"Don't make this any harder."

"Sakura, you may have not realized that I love you, but I do. I chose you after all. Be a doctor. Be happy."

"Please don't- don't say anything. You broke my heart, but I am forever thankful. And I want you to know that I forgive you. Love may have hurt you, but it can also heal. To be honest, I still have no idea what I am doing, however, I know that you'll do good. You'll be great. I wish that people will see that in you. What I see right now is the most amazing person I ever met. You are, Sasuke. You also make me happy." She stood up as well and kissed his cheek.

"You are an amazing friend, a caring boyfriend, and a loving husband. I don't think I can find someone better." She tried to laugh but failed. Sasuke, on the other hand, still doesn't know how can she still say such good things about him. Loving? Him?

"I am afraid that if you tell me to stay by your side, I might do." He knows this is one of the hardest decisions she'll ever make.

"Sakura."

"I-I'm sorry. It's just that- It's harder than I thought. Don't say anything. Just let me tell you how I feel. Okay? I-I have to find the strength to go on living without you. And I don't think I can. I asked you for this divorce, and yet, here I am, having second thoughts." A knock on the door caught both of them off guard.

"Am I interrupting something?" Father Olivarez came after a few minutes with a stack of papers on his hands.

"Father, can we postpone the divorce?"

"Sakura! What-"

"I- I just- I know that I was the one who decided that this is the best for us, but I- I need time. I have to think. So please, Father, I'm so confused right now."

"Well then." Father Olivarez put a hand on Sakura's shoulder.

"Mrs. Uchiha, I understand what you are going through. Let me tell you this. Do not think. Feel. What is inside your heart? What will make you happy?"

"Tha- Thank you, Father." She turned to face her husband. "Sasuke, I-I'll- I'm really sorry. I'm going to spend some nights with Ino. I need someone to talk to." Sakura proceeded to take her bag and left.

* * *

After Sakura left the office, Sasuke had no idea where to go. Father took it as a sign and talked to enlighten him.

"She must love you so much for thinking it all over again. I'm a little sad when you guys told me you are still going to file a divorce. I thought that the 2 weeks might have help you to understand one another."

"I lied to her. Taken her for granted. It will be best to let her go."

"The question is, Mr. Uchiha, will she really be happy without you? I think that she might said things about being tired of you, or that she hates you, but try to look into her eyes. All she wants is your attention. She's begging you to stop her. To tell her that she's wrong. When you told her you love her, that's it. She's back in square one. She knows what she wants. She wants you to be by her side."

"I might hurt her again."

"We cannot avoid that perhaps. You know what to do. It seems that you also need time to reflect. A time alone can be good too. Two weeks isn't enough, huh?"

"I have to leave for Japan on Saturday."

"You have 3 days then."

* * *

Sakura knocked on the door three times before Ino opened up.

"Sakura! You didn't tell me you're coming. Eh? Look at your face, Forehead! What's gotten into you? So, how's Sasuke?" With the mention of Sasuke, Sakura run into Ino's arms and pulled her into tight hug.

"I was already decided, Ino. How cruel he is for saying he loves me! He never told me that not until we're a second away from signing the papers. Can you believe that?!"

"Hey Forehead! Baby, remember?" Sakura released her best friend and put her right ear near Ino's tummy.

"Oh, sorry, Baby Boy, can you hear me? Auntie Sakura has this awful husband of hers and she is so stupid still thinking maybe it can still work out for them."

"I'm sure my baby would like to hear everything. Seriously, Sakura Uchiha, didn't you listen to me at all?"

"Are you not going to empathize to me at all? How could you?"

"Fine. Let's go inside, it's freezing out here."

* * *

"That Sasuke-bastard! He better made up with Sakura-chan! All of his work passed down to me. Oh! It's been two weeks!" Naruto is busy doing some paper works using Sasuke's computer. With Sasuke gone, Kakashi assigned to him what Sasuke left. As a revenge, Naruto used his best friend's office for two weeks.

"Should I call that bastard? Well, whatever." He put out his phone and start dialing Sasuke's number. After a few rings, Sasuke picked up.

"HEY BASTARD! DID YOU KNOW HOW MUCH WORK YOU LEFT ME?"

"I didn't tell you to do it."

"You could have just thank me. Well, never mind. How's Sakura-chan?"

"No idea."

"No idea? What's with that? Did you- DID YOU FILE A DIVORCE?! I told you to not to mess this up!"

"Tch, shut up. Is it break time yet? Focus on those paper works. It looks like you'll be doing that from now on." With that, Sasuke ended the call.

"Huh? What do you mean by that? Hey Sasuke! Jeez, he needs to work on his communication skills." As he think out loud, he can't help but to worry about Sasuke. He may not show his true feelings, but he knows this is hard for him. He may not tell him what happened, but Naruto knows he needs his best friend right now.

* * *

"Itachi? Hello?"

"Sasuke? How's Sakura?" Okay, what's up with everyone asking him about Sakura.

As to avoid the question, he diverted the conversation to the Uchiha corp. "I'll come home. My flight is on Saturday. Tell Father that. How's the company?"

"Stupid little brother."

"Tch, what."

"Looking forward to see you and Sakura." Itachi ended the phone call before Sasuke can reply.

Sasuke is currently lying on their bed. With the windows open, he can't help but to stare into the sky. Sakura is confused, he is too. He's going to make it easy for her. She suffered enough.

He knows what to do.

* * *

Notes: Tell me your thoughts?


	8. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7 : Divorce Like No Other**

* * *

Ino is trying her best to understand her best friend. They are currently in the living room, seated next to each other drinking tea.

"Ino, he kept it from me all these years. He never brought it up. Whenever I ask him about his family, all he talks about is Itachi. It was strange, I know, but I thought they're just not so close or they don't see each other that often. Then, boom, newsflash! Sakura, your husband is the heir of the biggest company in Tokyo! Oh! And by the way, there is a fiancee waiting for him back in Japan!" Sakura paused for a while to take a breathe and sipped her tea.

"Okay, hold on, Forehead. Sooo, you said that you didn't push through with the divorce, what are your plans then?"

"I honestly don't know. He's an asshole, but -"

"But? He told you he loves you? For the first time that is. I thought you always knew that."

"That's not it."

"Then what exactly? You also mentioned that you were already decided to let him go. What changed?"

"The thing is that I don't know exactly what I was doing. Yes, I was decided. I know I've already had enough, but I also knew deep inside me that is not what I want. I'm so confused right now. There's too much in my mind. I need to breathe. I need to clear up my mind for a while."

"Let me clear things up for you then. As practically your sister, I know you. I can even tell what's on your mind right now."

"I'm not so sure about that." Ino rolled her eyes at Sakura's antics.

"Shut up and listen. Let's say both of you decides to push through with the divoce, can you really let him go? He's going to marry that other woman once he gets back in Japan. Will that make you happy?"

"What. I- I never even thought of that."

"Him. Other woman."

"Are you on my side?" Ino exhaled to calm herself because all she wanted to do was to knock some sense on her _literally_.

"I AM ON YOUR SIDE! And that is why I'm not letting you do this. For God's sake, Sakura Haruno-Uchiha, he left everything! For you! To be with you! Yes, he may be arrogant, insensitive asshole sometimes, but that man fucking loves you! Clearly!"

It may be Ino's nerves talking right now, but Sakura knows she's right. Sasuke did everything he did for her. The only mistake he did was that he never had the courage to tell her.

Sakura's silence permitted Ino to continue. "Fine. Let's say he told you everything. If his father told you to leave him, would you?"

"I-"

"Shut up, I'm still talking. What is wrong with you? How can you entertain such thoughts! You definitely couldn't stand to be away from him even for a minute! Filing a divorce my ass."

"Excuse you! I told you I didn't want to. I just want-"

"Him to trust you. To have his attention. You got it. So what now?"

Sakura exhaled. She thought Ino would try to understand her at least. Yet, she yelled at her like a mother would do to her child.

She sighed. "Well, Ino-pig, can I spend a few nights here? I know that I'll be a bother to you and Sai-"

"Don't mind him. And what? You're asking for permission? Something is definitely wrong with you." Sakura smiled brightly.

"Oh! I love you, Pig! Well, even if you just yelled at me few seconds ago."

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"You better help me with the dishes!"

* * *

Sasuke was in his office enjoying his last days as an assistant economic analyst. When he applied for this job, the only thing on his mind was he could have at least be happy being in a company under automotive industry. It was always been his dream to be a mechanical engineer. He may not got what he wanted, but here, in his office, his job is to prepare reports concerning the automotive industry.

"Bastard! What is this resignation Kakashi's talking about?!" Naruto came barging in his office for the nth time.

"Tch, be quiet."

"You better explain! Now!"

"Thought you already knew about this. I'm going back to Japan on Saturday."

"What about Sakura-chan?!"

"She must stay. She would be a full-pledged doctor this year."

"How can you just leave?! You fucked this all up again! Did you not explain the situation to her? You did what you have to do, right? Why did she-"

"It was a lot to take in. She better stay here. All of her dreams are here."

"What about you?"

"What. She's better off without me."

"You keep saying that. Sasuke, don't make decisions for her." With that, Naruto left the room.

* * *

Sasuke took his time to go home. This time, he walked through the streets. He will miss this place. He will miss the temporary peace he had in Romania. _He will miss her and the memories they had._ He knows this is where she belongs.

When he reached their home, he was greeted by silence he was not accustomed to. He likes to have his personal space, sometimes being alone, but this is unbearable.

He went to their room and started to pack his things up. While he was searching for his rubber shoes, he found the box containing their wedding pictures. He opened it, sat on the bed and paused for a while to take a look at them. One picture caught his attention. _Sakura was smiling the brightest staring at him_. It was a simple wedding. It was just the two of them, the priest, her best friend Ino, and Naruto, who by the way invited himself. (Who would go to someone's wedding when you just met him couple of days ago) He took the picture, look at it once again and put it on his wallet. It may not so bad to bring something important from Romania to remind him of _that_ day.

* * *

Sakura's been doing great. She went back to work and Dr. Tsunade greeted her affectionately. Dr. Tsunade told her favorite apprentice that everyone missed her. She forgot things for a while. She was finally able to breathe. She helped Ino with the household chores and advise her what's best for her upcoming baby. They did shopping for baby's clothes too.

She's out for a walk to buy some Japanese food nearby the hospital when she saw Naruto slurping his noodles.

"Hey Naruto! It's been a while!"

"Oh! If it is not Sakura-chan! You look great, doctor. Hinata says she misses you."

"I miss her too. So, how are you?" Sakura took a seat beside Naruto. She must have known he will be here in Ichiraku Ramen stand since it is already lunch time. It's already past 12 in the afternoon.

"I'm good. Hinata and I have been trying. You know, we want to have a family soon although we just got married a few months ago."

"No, that's great! Can you tell her that I want to meet her soon? Maybe I can also give her some advice. I know, I've been busy, but whenever I have the time, I'll visit her."

"Sure thing. Thank you, Sakura-chan."

"Uhm, well, how about work? Did Kakashi scolded you again?"

"He never changes. All he can see with his lone eye is my mistakes. Also, I am still sad Sasuke leaving, but because of that, I was promoted. He-"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

* * *

 **Saturday, 7 pm**

 _"You sure about this?" Naruto asked for the third time since arriving at the airport._

 _Instead of saying yes, he replied what is really on his mind. "I have no choice."_

 _"What are your choices when someone puts a gun to your head? You do what they say or they shoot you? WRONG. You take the gun, or you pull out a bigger one. Or, you call their bluff. Or, you do any one of a hundred and forty six other things."_

 _"Tch, Suits, huh? I didn't know you could watch those kind of shows knowing your intellect capacity. I'm even more surprised you were able to memorize that." Naruto glared at him._

 _"All I'm saying is it is your choice. Nobody should dictate what you should do in your life." Naruto sighed and looked around._

 _"EH? Where's Sakura-chan?"_

 _"Why are you looking for her?"_

 _"Of course, to send you off at least."_

 _"She didn't have to that. I didn't ask her."_

 _"I know, it didn't end well for you guys, but I actually thought she would say good bye."_

 _"It will just hurt the both of us, don't you think? It's easier this way."_

 _"Eh? Maybe, you're right. Knowing Sakura-chan, she may change her mind once again and try to stop you."_

 _"Whatever. I better go now. I appreciate you coming all the way here. I hope Hinata doesn't wake up one day and realize she's too good for you."_

 _"Don't worry about that. She knows she married the right one. You take care, bastard. See you."_

 _"Aa." Sasuke left without turning his back._

* * *

"He didn't tell you? I thought you guys, no, never mind. That bastard. I told him not make decisions for you."

"Naruto, I'll punch you if you don't tell me. What is it?" Sakura was trying her best to keep her composure. She was still hoping he didn't leave, hoping this is all joke. But she knows, it is not. _Why did he leave her?_ All she wanted was time. He needed time, she gave it to him. He couldn't even wait for her. How could he? What is he thinking again.

"Well, please don't. You better go to the airport right now. Come to think of it, he made mention about you better off without him. I sent him off last night for his flight back to Japan." That's all Sakura needed to hear, in a minute she was gone running off.

* * *

Sakura went back home. Indeed, all of his things are gone. Her mind went blank. Before she knew it, she was packing all her things up, searching for her passport, and running towards the airport. She hailed a cab and called Ino.

"Listen, Ino. That stupid Sasuke left last night and I am going to punch his handsome face once I get there. Please tell Dr. Tsunade to not worry. I'll be back soon. Please take care and I hope that I'll be the one to deliver your baby. I love you."

"Sakura? Wait, what are you-" She pressed the end the button and asked the driver to speed it up.

* * *

Notes: Hello! Thank you everyone for your time to read. Please do review. Feedback helps me to know where to improve on. Or, any suggestions perhaps? Oh, and by the way, Happy Sasusaku month! :)


	9. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8: Divorce Like No Other**

* * *

Sasuke arrived at Tokyo airport at exactly 10:15 am, Sunday. As he waited for Itachi to pick him up, he looked around his surroundings. He couldn't believe it's already been 2 years since he left. A lot of things surely have changed. But his father hadn't apparently.

Itachi arrived after a few minutes.

"Hey, little brother. Welcome back."

"Aa."

"Where is she?"

"Who?"

"Your wife, dumbass."

"We decided to part ways."

Itachi was silent for a while. His expression unreadable as he started walking towards the exit. Sasuke followed after him strolling his suitcase.

"You really are stupid." Itachi said as he drive towards the Uchiha Corp.

"What again."

Sasuke was clearly annoyed by his brother. That hasn't much changed either. He kind of expected this kind of treatment from Itachi, but calling him stupid twice in that day annoyed him. All he wanted was to sleep as soon as he arrived, but no, first things first. His father instructed Itachi to bring Sasuke in the office right away so that he can explain _things_ to his younger son. Things related to being the next president of the company.

"You left her."

"What do you want me to do huh? Drag her with me to come back? And then what? Do you think Father will just let this go?"

Sasuke couldn't remember the last time he talked that much. He had too much on my mind and Itachi keep on mentioning _her_ is definitely not helping.

Of course, he wanted to have Sakura by his side. Hell, he wanted to drag her here with him and face his father and tell him how didn't regret leaving all of these behind. One thing he regrets for sure is that he didn't trust her enough to tell her. It is just that he does things on his own. That is just how he deals with basically everything.

"Sure, Sasuke, Father will be livid but, will you be following him all throughout your life? Can't you make your own decisions?"

"Tch, I left, didn't I?" _For her._

"That you did. You were so brave leaving, and yet, now that you have to face the consequences, you ran like a coward. You even left her."

Sasuke opened his mouth to retort. He wanted to tell Itachi to shut up. He wanted to tell him that he did what he did to protect her. But he chose to keep silent.

"Sasuke, you left because you wanted to be with her. I do not understand what you did. It's simple. Choose what makes you at ease. It is your life. You're already grown up now. You don't need your brother reminding you of these things. You know what to do."

Hell, he knows. He had no idea what to do.

* * *

As soon as Sasuke entered his Father's office, he took in his father's appearance. He looked older. Stress really taking its toll on him.

"Sasuke."

"Father." Sasuke vowed his head as a sign of respect. Itachi sat on the nearby chair, silent all throughout. Sasuke walked a few strides and sat on the vacant seat opposite to his father's table.

"I wanted to show you how the company works so you can start right away."

"Father, I have to tell you something."

"Save it for later."

"No, it can't wait."

"There's a reason why I asked Itachi to bring you here right away."

"I am married."

With that, a heavy silence filled the room, Sasuke avoiding his father's eyes as he try to continue on.

"I left not because I wanted to gain experience, but because I never wanted any of this. You controlling my life."

"I have no interest in anything you have to say. One way or another, you will file a divorce with whoever that woman is."

He didn't know what came over him. He stood up and suddenly he was angry. Angry with the situation. Angry with his decisions. He hated everything.

"I always wanted your attention, to make you proud, to hear you praise me. I obeyed and respected you. I can be the president of this company, but once I step out of this building, I'll choose how to live my life."

Sasuke didn't wait for a response and left as soon as he could. Itachi still kept silent for a few minutes and followed his little brother after.

* * *

Sasuke didn't know where to go. He would like to see his mother knowing she will understand him, but he chose not to go home. Not for a while at least. Another argument with his father is the last thing he wanted to happen considering that it's been pretty obvious he is sick. A deep sigh escaped his lips as he stroll down the streets of Tokyo.

He considered calling Sakura. He had the urge to hear her voice knowing it will completely put him at ease. But he decided against it.

His phone rings as Itachi calling him again for the third time as soon as he left his father's office. He picked it up this time, after all, it is one oclock in the afternoon. He is hungry and he doesn't have any money with him. (If euro can be considered as a legal tender in Japan that is.) He just wanted to get out of that building that he acted impulsively not able to remember Itachi picked him up for that particular reason.

As soon as he pressed the answer button, he heard his brother's voice calm as fuck.

"Where are you?"

"I do not know. I am hungry."

"That's what you get for storming off like that."

"Tch, did you call to lecture me again?"

"Meet me at the restaurant near our house. You know where that is for sure. I'll be there in two minutes. Grab a taxi. I'll pay for it."

He doesn't know if he should curse or thank Itachi after that. For sure, after they eat, he will get another lecture from him and it will _clearly brighten up_ his mood further.

* * *

"Good job."

"What."

"You stood up for yourself. As your brother, I am proud of you."

Sasuke prepared himself for a long lecture, and this is the last thing he expected to hear from him. They were currently seated in a restaurant with Itachi drinking his coffee.

"If you think I did it because of your earlier advice, you're wrong."

"You really are impulsive. You did it because he mentioned about Sakura. Just like a while ago, you completely snap out of it."

"I stressed him out further."

"You always keep your emotions in control, but you seemed so distressed the whole day. Go home, Sasuke. Mother wanted to see you."

* * *

When Sasuke went home, he was welcomed with hugs and kisses from his mother. There were tears in her eyes as she tell him how he missed her younger son. The maids took care of his belongings and put it inside his room.

"So, tell me about Europe." His mother asked him as they sat in the living room.

"It was beautiful. The people are kind. I worked in a company under automotive industry."

"Did you meet a girl, perhaps?" Her question made him smile. It was the teasing look his mother give him every time she mentions a girl in his life.

"I'm married." The shock evident on her face for a few seconds became an angry one which he rarely sees.

"You didn't tell me! I wasn't able to go to my own son's wedding?!"

"Mom, it was-"

"How could you not tell us?! I want to meet her!"

"She's- we are not in good terms right now." Sasuke sighed for the nth time that day. It is only his first day back in Japan, and yet, he's been already stressed out. He is _exhausted._

"Why? How come?"

"I did a lot of stupid things."

Mikoto Uchiha is a fine, elegant woman who puts her sons' needs beyond everything else. When Sasuke decided to leave Japan, she was depressed for a little while, but tried to understand her son. She knows her children well. Itachi thinks critically about his decisions while Sasuke acts impulsively. She knows it, and yet, she is still surprised to know that her younger son chose to marry right away.

"Talk to her. I'm sure if you chooses her, she is a very beautful and kind girl."

"She is. I think you'll like her."

"What is she like?"

"Mom, I'm sorry."

"Eh? Do not worry, it is just that I wanted to be there to witness your marriage. It only happens once, you know."

"It's not it. I lied to you and _Dad_. I left because I took Sakura with me to marry her in Europe. I ran like a coward because I know he will not approve of any of these."

"So, you had a girlfriend all along?"

"Met her in college."

Mikoto tried to comfort his son by putting her hands on top of his. She smiled assuring his son that she was not mad anymore.

"Sasuke, I love you. You are my son. I cannot stay mad at you for so long. You know your dad, he just wanted the best for you. Why don't I try to talk to him? And you better show me pictures of your wedding. That will make me happy."

"I'm afraid I haven't bring any. Wait. Hold on."

Sasuke searched for his wallet in his pocket and showed his mother the picture he brought with him after he found the box containing their wedding photos.

"Oh wow! She really is pretty! Pink hair, green eyes, how lovely! She looks so in love with you. And you! You look so handsome. I never saw you so happy. Well, you are not even smiling at this one, but I'm your mother, I know you." A giggle escaped her mother's lips as she stare at the photo.

Her mother can really be simple sometimes. It doesn't have to exert so much effort to make her happy. Going home and seeing her mom made him feel much better. And he missed her presence too. He missed how she can be in times like this. It is just that she knows exactly what he wanted to hear.

He will sleep and try to figure things out first thing in the morning.

* * *

Sakura cursed again as she stare outside the window. She was currently seated near the window inside the plane. She couldn't get a ticket right away so she settled for a trip back to Tokyo at 7 oclock in the evening. Her phone was still off since she came to the airport knowing Ino or Tsunade will try to stop her or something. But she made up her mind. Her husband of his will not get away this time. They will solve this problem once and for all. They will solve it like adults should do.

She cursed again and promised to bring hell to Sasuke as soon as she arrived.

Well, so much for being adults.

* * *

 **A/N** : Hope I'm not too late for Sasuke's birthday.


	10. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9: Divorce Like No Other**

* * *

Sasuke woke up the next day when his phone started ringing loudly. He ignored it twice, but when it didn't stop ringing, he reached up for his phone on the bedside table. He blinked thrice to adjust to the blinding light peering through his window.

He looked into his phone only to find out that it's only the idiot who's calling him.

 _It's only 7 am, damn that idiot._ "What."

"You didn't call me! I told you to call me when you get there!"

"I didn't remember you telling me that."

"It's common sense, bastard! Oh, besides, well-"

"Spit it out, loser."

"Sakura-chan might be there." With the mention of her name, Sasuke finally sat up.

"What are you talking about."

Naruto knew that tone of that voice. He only heard it twice from his best friend. Once, when he accidentally deleted all of his files in his computer. Second, when he borrowed his car without his permission and nearly smashed it into a tree.

"I was just trying to help! Don't be mad! Sakura-chan loves you so much! It is unfair for her to leave her hanging like that!"

"Stay the hell out of this!"

"Like hell I am! You are making a mistake! A huge one!"

"What did you do."

"Well, I already told you she might be there."

"Naruto."

"Okay, okay. Jeez, uhm, well, I might have told her to go after you?"

Sasuke wanted to go back to Romania right now and punch the hell out his fucking best friend for being the _worst best friend_ ever.

"Tell me she didn't"

"Uh- I can't. She left.. Uh.. after I told her? She may have been there already?"

"When I get the chance to go back there, I'll fucking kill you."

With that, he pressed the end button and tried to calm himself down.

He was still not ready to face her. He wanted to have some sort of distance between them to think. He thought that they needed some time. They needed to sort things out. He wanted to personally tell her that he left not because he wanted to part ways, but he was trying to fix everything. Everything, meaning the root of their problems.

He always had issues with his father. Sasuke strived hard to get high grades, followed his father's wishes, and looked up to him ever since. He wanted to face his problems on his own so that one day he could face Sakura as someone who can finally be a husband to her. Someone who can take care of her.

He browsed through his contacts, finding her name. He was a second away from calling Sakura when his mother abruptly opened the door to his room.

"Oh! You're up! I thought that you may be still be sleeping since you had a rough day yesterday."

"I might be if not for that idiot."

"Eh?"

"That idiot back in Europe. No, never mind."

"Well, breakfast is ready. Come down and eat with us."

When Mikoto saw the unease on her son's face, she knew exactly what he was thinking.

"Don't worry! Your father had gone to work. I know you two are still uncomfortable with one another. I also talked to him last night, maybe that's why he left early."

"You told him about Sakura?"

"Yes. He still insists that you should have married that Yumi-girl. Oh! Never mind that, he'll eventually change his mind once Sakura-dear gets pregnant."

"Mom."

"Hurry! Your brother and I will be waiting."

* * *

"So, Sasuke-kun, tell me more about Sakura-dear."

"Mom."

"Come on! I'm excited to meet her!"

Mikoto, Itachi, and Sasuke are seated in the dining room. Itachi was busy reading a newspaper while drinking his coffee, but still attentive to the ongoing conversation between his mother and little brother.

When Sasuke still doesn't comply to his mother's wishes, Itachi answered for him.

"I only met Sakura twice. I heard she's going to be a doctor."

"You met her?!"

"Yes, I also knew about his marriage."

Sasuke was afraid his mother would get mad again, but instead she smiled sweetly. So sincerely.

"I'm happy you two are getting along so well. Itachi, thank you for taking care of your brother."

Sasuke excused himself for a while to get some fresh milk on the fridge and left his phone on the table when it started ringing.

Mikoto, seeing no harm in answering his phone, picked it up, not knowing who might be calling. The moment she pressed the green button, a loud scream reached her right ear.

"Fuck you Sasuke! You better go pick me up here in the airport right now! Damn right I am here! You better hurry because I'll not wait!"

"Hello? Who is this?"

"EH? Is this Sasuke's phone?"

* * *

Sakura was confused for a while. Then it started to click. Sasuke left for a reason. He explained everything to her, didn't he? So why is she surprised to hear a woman's voice answering his damn phone.

She went after him because she wanted to understand why he left her without a word. If not for Naruto, she wouldn't even have a clue that he already left. She didn't even know why she left without thinking. She just wished it wouldn't end this way. That maybe, just maybe there still might a chance that they could fix this. That they could start over.

"Are you Sasuke's fiancee? I- I well. I'm sorry. I just want to talk to him. I'm sorry if I disturbed your date."

She was currently standing in the middle of the hallway in the airport. She must have looked pathetic standing there idly nowhere to welcome her _home._

Before she knew it, there were tears coming from her eyes.

"So- sorry. I must have been pathetic calling him after filing a divorce. Just promise me that you'll take care of him and that -"

Before she can continue on what she had to say, the woman's voice interrupted her.

"What do you mean fiancee? My son has a fiancee? But isn't he married already? (Itachi, who do you think this is? She sounded so angry then she started crying.)"

 _AHHHHHHHHHHH! So embarrassing! That must have been his mother!_

At that moment, Sakura wished to let the ground swallow her up out of embarrassment.

* * *

Sasuke came back holding the jar of milk and sat on the vacant chair next to his brother.

"That's my phone." Sasuke said as he placed the milk on the table.

"Do you know who this is? She said about picking her up in the airport."

Sasuke's eyes widened and snatched the phone right away from his mother.

"Hello?! Sakura!"

"Sasuke! Ugh! I don't know how to face your mother anymore!" He noticed the slight change in her voice like she's been crying.

"Never mind that, where are you?!"

"I'm still here at the airport. Heading towards the arrival area, I guess."

"Wait for me there."

When the call ended, Mikoto's giggles erupted the room. She's feeling an excitement on finally being able to meet her daughter-in-law since yesterday. She's a little worried though since she sounded like she's been crying. She just had a feeling that Sakura might have been what her son needed all along.

When Sasuke left without sparing them a single glance, she understood right away. At first, she considered going after him and meeting Sakura right away. Instead, she chose to let them be for a while.

"You bring her home, okay?! Make sure she's fine, I'm a little worried!" She shouted as Sasuke went out of their house.

When Itachi's and her eyes met, she giggled again and told him about being excited about having a grand daughter. Itachi just sighed and went back to what his reading.

* * *

Sasuke drove so fast and parked Itachi's car right away. He got a text message, opened it up only to find it was from his mother telling him to hurry up and bring _Sakura-dear_ home.

When he caught sight of her, he was convinced that this was really happening. She's here. She went after him. _God, how he missed her._ She's still beautiful even if the bags under her eyes clearly says she wasn't able to get some sleep during her flight. She was observing her surroundings, perhaps taking in what had changed for the past two years she was gone.

He took a few steps until she noticed him. He placed a few distance between them as if scared of her reaction of seeing him once again. He stared right into her eyes when she began crying again.

"You really are an asshole! I don't even know what I see in you! You're such an immature brat! Why did I even marry you!"

"Because you love me."

"Damn right I do!" So when she lunged herself at him, he didn't quite understand what's going on.

"I only asked for a little time, Sasuke, yet, you left me. I needed time to think." He put his arms around her and buried his face into her hair.

"I didn't leave you. I wanted to fix everything."

"Then why didn't you tell me!" She struggled in his hold, but he didn't let her go.

"You still don't trust me?"

"No, you were going to complete your internship back there, Sakura. I didn't want to ruin it."

He knew this would happen if he told her what he intended to do that was why he chose to leave without anyone knowing but Naruto. A _big mistake_ on his part. He knew how stubborn Sakura can be. She would insist to come with him even if she was a second away on achieving her dreams.

"And I completed it! I'm already a full-pledged doctor now! I just need to decide whether to stay there or not. And I choose to stay with you! So please, tell me. Can we get through this?"

"Sakura-"

"No more secrets. We'll solve this together. We'll talk and sort things through. And then, we'll see. Sasuke, give me a chance. _Give us_ one more chance."

He only nodded and hugged her. He still couldn't believe that she's here. With him.

* * *

They arrived at the Uchiha mansion an hour and a half after Sasuke left this morning.

"I'm nervous, Sasuke. Should I really stay here? What will your father say? God, I cannot face your mother!" Remembering how ridiculous she might be earlier made her cheeks blush out of complete mortification.

"Calm down. My mother insisted. She couldn't even wait to meet you."

"They knew, I mean, about us?"

"I told them yesterday."

Sasuke was about to open the door when Mikoto shoved her son away and ushered Sakura into their house.

"You must be Sakura! You are much prettier in person!"

"U-uh eh- I- I'm sorry about the phone call earlier. I thought you were uh-" Sakura bowed her head and apologized many times.

"Don't mind that! What's important is that you are here now. Oh! Welcome to the family! I'm Mikoto, by the way, Sasuke's mom. From now on, I want you to call me Mom."

"Mrs. Uchiha, I-I don't think that it's-"

"Shhh! Why are you calling me that, besides, you are also Mrs. Uchiha."

Sakura was very much nervous about meeting Sasuke's parents. But nothing prepared her for this. His mom's so nice and welcoming. She's very beautiful and no one would even guessed she already had two sons who are in their twenties.

"So Sakura-dear, I guess you'll be staying in Sasuke's room. I actually want to know more about you, but I know you need to rest. The maids are going to help you with your things."

"I-uh. Thank you."

Before she went upstairs, she saw Itachi smiling slightly at her.

"Sakura, Welcome home." She smiled back and followed the maids upstairs.

Sasuke sighed and followed after Sakura in _their_ room. Once inside, he instructed the maids to leave Sakura's suitcase near the door and locked the door.

The Uchiha mansion is indeed huge. It has 6 bedrooms. One is the master's bedroom, one for Sasuke, one for Itachi, one for the maids, and the remaining are guest rooms. Sasuke's bedroom has its own bathroom; Sakura couldn't help but to gape when she saw a Jacuzzi and a television inside it. After taking in her surroundings, she sat on the bed next to Sasuke.

"Sasuke?"

"Hn."

"Your father."

"By the time he gets home, we're already fast asleep."

"But we can't avoid him forever!"

"For now, sleep. You need it. I'll ask the maids to prepare food once you wake up."

She was tired. No, _exhausted_. She couldn't sleep at all during the flight since all she could think was Sasuke and if she was doing the right thing. She tossed her shoes aside and lay on the bed.

* * *

When Fugaku entered his house, it was already 12 midnight. He went straight to the kitchen to drink some water when an unfamiliar face bumped into him.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I was just on the way back to Sasuke's room, but I got lost."

"Who are you?"

* * *

A/N: It's 3 am here and I really have to update it, like, now. Also, who's excited for the next episode? God, finally, I'm waiting for that damn chapter to be animated since forever.

Also, I tried to make it longer, but I want to have more frequent updates than longer chapters. It's hard for me to find time to write these days. So please bear with me.

See you.


	11. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10 : Divorce Like No Other**

* * *

Sasuke was sleeping peacefully in his bed. He tried to reach out to his wife and frowned when he was greeted with nothing but a pillow. He grumbled and sat up, thinking where the hell she is. He went to the bathroom searching for Sakura, but he didn't find her. He decided then to went out of the room and went downstairs.

"Sakura!" Sasuke shouted through the halls, but he heard no response.

He yawned and checked on the living room, still he didn't find her. He asked one of the maids if she had seen her, but she had no idea either. He cursed how big their mansion is for the first time.

He went to the master's bedroom to ask his mother. He knocked on the door twice and opened it hoping that his mother was still awake.

"Mom?"

"Yes, honey? What's the matter?" Mikoto sat up and asked for Sasuke to sit down beside her on the bed.

"Have you seen Sakura?"

"I'm afraid not. She didn't say anything?"

"We were sleeping."

"Maybe, she got hungry. Well, let's try searching for her in the kitchen."

* * *

Sakura blinked twice to the man standing in front of her. His voice sounded authoritative. He looked like someone who you do not want to mess with.

"I asked you a question." Before she could reply, they heard Mikoto's voice asking for her.

"Sakura! There you are! Sasuke's been looking for you. Oh, I see you have met my husband, Fugaku. Honey, this is Sakura, Sasuke's wife."

No one dared to talk after a few minutes. When Fugaku looked up to Sasuke, Sakura knew she should have not agreed to live in the mansion.

"Sasuke, what is the meaning of this?" Sasuke didn't answer, instead he just stared into his father's eyes and shoved Sakura into his back.

Mikoto then tried to ease the tension by trying to explain things to her husband.

"Honey, Sakura is such a sweet girl. I think that it's best that they stay here." Mikoto smiled sweetly at her husband, wishing it would ease his anger and stress. But well, it didn't work this time.

"Did I not tell you to divorce this woman?" Fugaku asked his son coldly.

"Fugaku!" Mikoto gasped and covered her mouth.

"Sorry, Mom. Sakura and I are leaving."

With that, Sasuke tightened his hold on Sakura and stormed off to his room.

Once they got into his room, he searched for his suitcase and shoved all of his clothes inside of it. He was not thinking clearly. He was _livid_ of his father for controlling his life like that, for talking like that in front of Sakura. He was so sick of this life. He left in the first place because he wanted to make his decisions for himself. He was tired of him being dictated every damn time. He could still hear his parents arguing downstairs.

"Sasuke.." Sakura called onto her husband softly. Sakura had been quiet the entire time just because she was observing the family's interaction. She had an idea of how Sasuke's relationship with his father. After seeing their argument just a few minutes ago, she concluded that it must have been that Sasuke inherited his personality from his father. They are too alike in so many ways that it scared her. They are both intimidating, quiet, and reserved.

"We'll stay in a hotel for the meantime. Go pack your things."

* * *

"Fugaku! How can you say things like that?!" Mikoto asked her husband once Sasuke and Sakura were out of sight.

Knowing Mikoto Uchiha, the fine, graceful woman, one could never expect her to shout at her husband. It's been a long time since they argued for she always try to understand her husband as much as possible. But well, she will not back down when it comes to her sons who she loves dearly probably more than anything.

"I only want the best for our son."

"The best?! You want to sell your own son! You're trying to destroy their relationship! Do you think it's the best?! How could you!"

"That woman is no good for him."

"You don't even know Sakura! And yet, you judge her right away! Our son obviously loves her! I do not understand, Fugaku!"

"She will just be a hindrance to Sasuke."

"She is his wife! Sakura is sweet, understanding.. She's perfect for our son. I talked to her. Knowing our son, he never likes to get attached to people. But Sakura, she's different. She has this way to people. She's the complete opposite of our son. They complement each other. That is what Sasuke needs."

Before Fugaku can respond, Itachi came running down the stairs figuring out what the hell is going on.

No one spoke; Itachi just observed them for the past few minutes. It was rare to find his mother worked up like this. Even rarer to see her shouting at his father.

"Itachi. Talk to your father. Maybe he will listen to you." Mikoto once calmed down spoke.

"Is this about Sasuke? Where is he?"

The sound of the suitcase being dragged down was heard across the kitchen. Sasuke was obviously furious, that Itachi could see. Sakura looked apologetic and bowed her head as they passed them.

"SASUKE! Where do you think you're going?!" Fugaku shouted that even their neighbors could hear.

Sasuke didn't even look backwards and walked faster dragging Sakura with him. He put all their things inside one of Itachi's cars and exited the mansion right away.

* * *

Sasuke didn't have any idea where the hell they were going. One thing is for sure, he wanted to get as far away as he could. He knew his father was already stressed enough. He knew this, but enough is enough. He could order him around inside the Uchiha Corp., just stay away from Sakura. That was the only thing he could ask for from his father: to leave him with Sakura alone.

Sakura still kept her mouth shut the entire ride. She also needed time to think things through. Now, it was absolutely clear to her what their real problem was. It was his father. His father _hated_ me. He was never going to be okay with Sasuke married to someone like me. This was the very same reason Sasuke never introduced me to his family. He knew his father would never approve of us.

As she glanced sideways to Sasuke, a scowl was still present to his face. She put her right hand over his left to reassure him that she's with him. Always. She tried to smile when he looked at her. He didn't smile, but the scowl was no longer present on his handsome face.

Sasuke decided to check in a hotel a little far away from the mansion. They still hadn't talked about what happened earlier not until they were inside their room.

Sakura sat next to her husband and put her arms around him.

"Sakura.."

"Shh.. We'll be okay. We talked about this, right? We'll solve this together." Sasuke then buried his head into her shoulder. That was the time when she couldn't hold it any longer. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she was quick to wipe it off so Sasuke wouldn't see. She had to be strong for them.

The sound of Sasuke's cellphone ringing disturbed the silence the couple enjoyed. Sasuke didn't bother to check on it, but then Sakura encouraged him to pick it up, that it could be his mother worrying over them. He decided to check on it first and picked it up after knowing it was his mother.

"Hello?"

"God. Thank God, you picked up! I want you to go home now!"

"Mom, you know I can't do that."

"Where's Sakura? Let me speak to her."

Sasuke passed down the phone into Sakura's hand. At first, Sakura just stared at him, wondering why he gave his phone to her.

"It's for you. Mom wants to talk to you."

Sakura hesitated, but answered it anyway. "Hello, Mrs. Uchiha?"

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me _Mom_?"

"Oh. I just.."

"Listen, Sakura. Can you please persuade Sasuke to come home? If its his father he's worried about, I'll handle it. Just please. I miss my son. And I'm really sorry for what happened earlier; Fugaku has been stressed lately. He's only doing this because he wants the best for Sasuke. I'll talk to him again. I promise everything will be fine. So please come home, I'm worried."

"I'll see what I can do, but I cannot.." Sasuke snatched the phone from Sakura knowing exactly what his mother was doing.

"Mom, I know you're worried, but we're fine. We're staying in a hotel for a few days. You can even come visit us."

"But Sasuke, nothing can be solved with you storming off like that. I just thought that if Fugaku sees how sweet and nice Sakura-dear is, maybe he'll change his mind."

"You know how Dad is." _Nothing changes his mind._

"Fine. Tomorrow, I'll go there first thing in the morning. I'll bring some food, and check up on you both. I want to apologize to Sakura properly. Take care. Love you." Sasuke then ended the call and heaved a sigh.

After a few minutes of silence..

Sasuke put his arms around his wife and pulled her into bed. Sakura gasped, completely surprised.

He kissed her softly, passionately. Once she recovered from the shock, she returned the kiss, putting his arms around his neck, bringing him closer. Sakura moaned softly into the kiss.

"Should we really do this now?" Sakura said between kisses.

"Shhh. I want you. Now."

"God, I miss you."

* * *

Morning came after with the sound of the door pounding loudly. Sakura was still asleep clinging to him like a cat. He disentangled their legs slowly as to not wake her up, looked for his boxers, and opened the door without further ado.

He completely forgot that they were in a hotel room, that they left the night prior; he also forgot about his mother calling him late that night. Worse, she brought Itachi with her.

"Oh my!" His mother exclaimed after seeing him and Sakura curled up in bed; her back a little exposed, indicating what happened last night.

"Little brother, now I know the real reason why you won't come home."

Sakura stirred, and told Sasuke to shut the fuck up, that he exhausted her all throughout the night, and that she deserved more sleep.

His mother tried to hold her laugh, but failed. She giggled and grabbed both Sasuke's hands.

"Does it mean that I will be a grandmother soon?"

When Sakura heard the familiar laugh and the familiar voice, she knew she's screwed. His mother is here! _Shit._ She never dared to look around. And then she heard Itachi's voice. She panicked. She sat up so fast and clutched the sheets to cover her breasts.

"Sakura-dear! You're up. Sorry to wake you, honey." Now, she knew her face was all red out of embarrassment. She wanted to get out of there as far away as possible. God, and how can Sasuke just stay calm and collected as always. Can't he see that his wife was out here naked while he just stand there doing nothing?

She couldn't look into anyone. Sasuke saved her from further embarrassment.

"Look, can you come back in a minute?"

Itachi nodded, but her mother giggled softly. They exited the room and told them they'll be back after they get dressed.

Once they were out of sight, Sakura threw a pillow onto Sasuke's face, but he was able to dodge it.

"UGH! Why didn't you wake me up?! God, this is just ugh! Now, I can't really face your mother anymore! Not even Itachi!"

"What. We're married."

"So it is okay for them to see us like this?! God, Sasuke!" She picked her clothes from the floor and went to the bathroom quickly.

* * *

"So, Itachi, do you have a name yet?" Mikoto and Itachi were sitting on the hotel's reception area. Itachi remained quiet as always.

"What name."

"For the baby! You're gonna be an uncle soon."

Itachi sighed. It was no secret that their mother wanted to have a grandchild. She had always talked about this with him, but now that she found out that Sasuke got married first, she shifted her attention to his younger brother. Poor guy.

"Don't you think it will just complicate things between them? If you haven't heard, they were going to file a divorce right before they came back here. I think it's best if they sort things through first."

His mother pouted lightly. "Then, why don't you find a girl like Sakura and get married already. I want to have a grandchild soon! I'm not getting any younger."

"What if I marry Yumi instead?"

"What?!"

* * *

A/N: I'm sad to say that I'll be very busy from now on, school and shit. But don't worry, I'll try to find time to write and finish this story. Please bear with me. Love you all.


	12. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER 11: Divorce Like No Other**

* * *

Mikoto blinked twice after hearing her older son said those words. _Is he really serious?_

"Think about it, Mom. Father only wanted Sasuke to marry Yumi because of the on-going investment of their company to Uchiha Corp. If I marry her instead, he will leave Sasuke with Sakura alone."

"But what about you?! How about Izumi?"

"You know perfectly well how our relationship is. She hadn't tried to call me ever since she left."

"Son, please think about this. Sasuke's already married. Do not worry about him. He's already old enough to take care of himself. I want both of you to be happy."

Itachi chose to keep silent for a minute to think. He only wanted the best for his younger brother. Yes, he did not like the idea of marrying Yumi instead, but if that will make their father shut up, then yes, he will do it.

And well, Izumi, it was just complicated. It was clear way back in high school that they had these special feelings for each other. Izumi Aihara, the young, beautiful lady who captured Itachi's heart. She was smart, well, she's _perfect._ She has this long black hair reaching her waist; a soft- adorned features.

The Uchiha family was also aware of their er.. relationship. Itachi brought her with him once and introduced her to his family as _his friend._ Since then, Izumi would often go to the Uchiha mansion and ask how they were doing.

Izumi went to America to complete her Master's degree in Finance. Itachi accompanied her in the airport. She promised to come back and told him to wait for her. It was a year since then.

"I- I'll call Izumi. We'll talk."

Sasuke chose that opportunity to tell them they can already go inside their room.

* * *

When they entered the room, Sakura's eyes were glued at the floor, a heavy blush evident on her face. Itachi wanted to tease them about the incident earlier, but he was still preoccupied with thoughts about Izumi.

"I was planning to marry Yumi."

Sakura's mouth opened out of shock. All of her embarrassment from earlier gone. She was ready to ask Itachi, what the hell he's thinking about, but Sasuke beat her to it.

"What are you thinking, Itachi."

"Why, you should be thankful instead, little brother."

"I don't want Izumi coming back and blaming me."

Mikoto stayed silent during the whole conversation. She hated that she couldn't do anything for her sons. Either way, one of them would lose his love of his life. She couldn't imagine what would happen if Itachi marry that girl Yumi instead. He was in love with Izumi for so long.

But she perfectly knew why he was willing to do this. He loved Sasuke more than anyone. That, she was glad.

"Mrs. Uchiha?"

Sakura's inquiry brought her back to her senses. Sakura had this worried look on her face. Mikoto didn't realize she was crying.

"I- I just. It hurts that I couldn't do anything. It frustrates me as a mother."

Itachi brought his right hand on her shoulder to comfort her. Sakura hugged her. She buried her face in Sakura's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. For you to experience this kind of treatment. Sakura, you are perfect. I am well aware that you think you are not good enough for my son. Do not think that way. Please let me solve this. I want them both to be happy."

* * *

Once Itachi and Mikoto left their hotel room, Sasuke kept silent the entire time. That, his wife noticed.

"You're quiet. It bothers you, does it?" Sakura's question brought Sasuke back to his senses.

"Itachi's not thinking. We are married. Father cannot do anything." That, he hoped to be true. He knew his father. Business is business. It did not help the influence his Uncle Madara he had to his father. Fugaku maybe the current president of the Uchiha Corp, but Madara is the law. There is no question to his decisions.

Madara had completely expressed his interest towards Sasuke ever since they were kids. More often than not, when Fugaku would bring his children to his office, it had always been Sasuke who he noticed first. He believed that Sasuke is the future of the company.

The continuous drive to catch up to his brother, the respect he had for him and Fugaku while growing up, and the potential he had seen in Sasuke was discussed to Fugaku as to whom he should give the next position.

One day before Sasuke went to school, Fugaku asked his younger son to stay for a few minutes as to discuss an important decision made by the company. When his father told him that he, instead of Itachi would likely be the next president of Uchiha corp, he could not believe his ears.

It was clear that it had always been Itachi who made their father proud. His brother always had his attention. Fugaku did not wait for him to react, but instead told him to make him proud.

Preoccupied with his thoughts, Sakura hesitantly reached out to cup his face and smile at him. The action caused the pout on his handsome face disappear.

* * *

Fugaku was on his way out of his office by 10 in the evening when Madara intercepted him.

"My, my. Fugaku. I thought the doctor told you to rest for a few weeks."

"You know it couldn't be helped."

"Where is Sasuke? I heard he was here a few days ago."

"He was being stubborn when it comes to marrying Mr. Aihara's daughter. He even refused going home. Mikoto could not even convinced him."

"Stubborn? He always obeyed you. I see no reason for him not to like Mr. Aihara's only daughter. Did you ask him to meet her?"

Fugaku sighed and massaged his temple. Just remembering the argument he had with his younger son gave him a headache.

"I was not given a chance to even show him a picture of her. He rejected her right away."

"You and I both know there's a reason for his actions. I suggest you tell me so I can help you." Fugaku hesitated to tell Madara. He knew how the founder of Uchiha Corp. can be. He wanted to protect Sasuke in his own way. He chose to keep silent for a while, thinking of the ways on how to persuade his son.

"It's another girl, is it?" Fugaku did not bother to confirm or deny because Madara already left his office without a word.

* * *

"Kabuto. I need something for you to find out." Madara called one of his trusted underlings as soon as he figured out what exactly made Sasuke rebellious. He was currently in the executive elevator which is only for the people who have Uchiha attached to their names.

"What is it, Mr. Uchiha? Anything you ask."

"Find everything Sasuke did during his stay in Europe for two years. The most important thing you must find is who the current girl he fancies to be with. Her family background. Everything about that woman. I need it ASAP." He ended the call and walked out of the elevator as people bowed their heads in respect to Uchiha Madara, the founder of the Uchiha Corporation.

* * *

When Fugaku arrived later that night, he was surprised to see Itachi waiting for him in the living room.

"I have to speak with you, Father." Fugaku only stared at his son and proceeded to take a seat. Itachi took it as a signal to continue.

"I came up to an important decision that will make everyone in this family happy. If you and Uncle Madara would allow, instead of Sasuke I-"

"No. And you know why. End of discussion." Fugaku stood up and went straight to the Master's bedroom.

Itachi tried to speak once more, but he knew it was a lost case tonight. He knew his father was very hard to convince; it did not surprise him to get rejected right away.

He took a seat and dialed Izumi's number without thinking. Realizing what he was about to do, he hanged up only for Izumi to return his call.

"Itachi? Why, a pleasant surprise. I haven't heard from you for so long. I miss you." Hearing Izumi's soft voice certainly calmed him down. He kept telling himself that she will understand; that if ever he convinced his father, he would not regret it. It took only Izumi's voice for his resolve to crumble in pieces.

"Itachi? Are you there?"

"Yes."

"I had the impression that it was only me who misses you. I was so busy here. God, I wish you're here with me." That made him smirk.

"You better hurry and finish that degree. You have to meet my sister-in-law."

"Sister-in-law? What? Oh! Oh my God? Is Sasuke? Can you believe your little brother married before you?"

"Izumi, come home." He did not know why he said that, but that was what always stopped him from calling her. He knew he could not help himself.

A giggle was heard coming from the other line; Izumi started laughing.

"I didn't know you could be that sweet, Itachi. Now I know you misses me too. That's a relief." He could detect a smile coming from Izumi while talking to him.

"Well? Are you going to tell me your problem or not? I know you well enough, Mr. Uchiha."

"You don't want to know."

"What is it, Itachi? Had an argument with your father again? Did I not tell you to speak to him -"

"It's not it."

"Your father absolutely adores me. You know what? What if I just call him and-"

"Izumi."

"Fine. I get it. Just take care, okay? Hang in there for a little while. I know you're a mess without me." A giggle escaped from Izumi's lips again, and Itachi could not help but smile knowing she was fine, that she was doing great.

* * *

Kabuto went straight ahead to Mr. Madara Uchiha's office right away first thing in the morning after he found a _very interesting_ information.

The secretary asked him to wait for a few minutes before leading him into a conference room where Madara just had a meeting with a client.

"Kabuto, as expected, you are indeed a reliable worker."

"I'm afraid, Mr. Uchiha, you will not like what I have found last night."

"Take a seat and show me everything."

Madara came across with the student profile of a pink-haired girl who majored in Biology. Sakura Haruno. Was granted a full scholarship. Graduated top of the class. _Went to the same university with Sasuke, huh? That explains a lot._

He also learned that the girl have no parents left. She stayed with her grandparents and left to study in Konoha University. She had been selected as one of the few to have an all expenses paid internship in _Europe_. She just completed it a few weeks ago and passed the board exam ranking number 1. She is a full-pledged doctor now.

It did not take a while for Madara to know what caused Sasuke to leave Tokyo and stay in Europe for two years. The next document, however, he did not expect to see. A marriage certificate along with pictures. Her profile in the hospital she had been working addressed her as Dr. Sakura Haruno-Uchiha, the young, intelligent, and kind woman.

Seeing his surname attached to that woman's name caused something inside Madara's gut. _Disgust._

"Do you know where Sasuke and this woman is?"

"I'll gladly tell you, Mr. Uchiha."

* * *

A/N: Barely had a time to sleep. Forgive me for asking you guys once again to wait for a little longer for updates. I promise to finish this story no matter what. Love you all.


	13. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER 12: Divorce Like No Other**

* * *

Sasuke was currently taking a shower while Sakura was busy watching television when someone knocked on their hotel room door. At first, she was confused, but she thought that maybe it was just Itachi or Sasuke's mother. _Seriously, they don't have to come everyday._

When she opened the door, the beautiful face of Sasuke's mother was nowhere to be seen nor Itachi's calming presence. Instead, she stood in front of a tall, intimidating man, that was around in his early 50s. Sakura could only guess.

After a few minutes, Sakura found the courage to address the man in front of her.

"Uh? May I help you, sir?"

"Ah, you must be Sakura."

"I-How do you-" Sasuke interrupted her before she could ask the man how could he possibly know her.

"Sakura! who is it?"

Sasuke walked out of the bathroom, already dressed in his comfortable clothes, with a towel in his hand, drying his hair.

There stood his Uncle Madara. It has been two years since he saw his uncle. He hadn't changed much. He still carried this authoritative presence that demands respect to everyone he comes across.

"Sasuke. It's been a while. I thought of paying you a visit. I heard about your lovely wife over here. As your great uncle, may I ask the reason why I wasn't invited in your wedding." His tone suggested otherwise. It was as if he demands an explanation, and that it better be good.

He knew when to shut up. Madara is not like his father. He knew he would not tolerate every little thing he has to say.

"Sakura, leave us for a while. We have to talk about our family business."

"Wha- Why Sasuke. Excuse me, sir, but who are you?"

"I'm afraid I haven't introduced myself, huh? I am Uchiha Madara, founder of the Uchiha Corp. It is nice to meet such a fine young lady like you. As expected from my nephew to choose such a _pretty one_."

With that, Sasuke pulled Sakura into his back taking his uncle's words as a threat.

"Woah-wait Sasuke! I-uh" He closed the door behind him and told his uncle to wait for him in the lobby of the hotel. Madara just smirked and went to the elevator.

He went inside the room quickly only to see Sakura caressing her head. _Tch, so much for eavesdropping_.

"Don't go outside unless I tell you to. I'll be back." He went for the door, but Sakura held his arm before he could go.

"Sasuke, what's going on?" Sakura looked at him worriedly. He sighed and kissed her in her forehead.

"I'll be back. I promise."

* * *

Sasuke found his Uncle Madara sitting in a large sofa with a cup of coffee in his hand.

"Took you long enough. Sit down."

"Leave her out of this."

"Why, my nephew. You're the one who brought her into this mess."

"Like I said to Father, I will be the president of the Uchiha Corp., just leave Sakura out of this."

"You know I cannot do that. I thought I made myself clear before you left two years ago. You were already engaged. What a big fuss it would make when Yumi's father found out all about this. What do you think, Sasuke?"

Sasuke remained silent for a while. He chose that opportunity to sit down beside his uncle, but maintained some distance between them.

"Sasuke, file a divorce. I cannot say what will happen in the future. However, for the sake of Sakura, it is wise to separate ways once and for all while it is not too late."

"Is that a threat?" Sasuke glared at his uncle and stood up.

"Think, Sasuke. That's all. I better leave. I still have to catch up a meeting with new clients."

* * *

After an hour, he decided to go back to their room.

"We're going home."

"Eh? Why? Did something happen? Is your father?"

"He's fine." _You're not._

Once Madara left the hotel, Sasuke chose to take a walk to think. He thought of running away again, taking Sakura with him and going back to Europe. But, he thought of his father's condition. Even if they were not in good terms right now, he knew that once he left, all of the responsibilities of the company would fall back in his shoulders, and it would not do him any good.

He thought of ways on how to keep Sakura away from his uncle. Nonetheless, every time he thought of something feasible, there would be greater consequences. Like, talking to his father. Or, meeting Mr. Aihara himself.

A temporary solution came up to his mind. They could just go back home to ensure the safety of his wife. With her there with his mother, he knew Madara could not spy or talk to her secretly. And maybe, just maybe, his father could know more about Sakura. That maybe he would change his mind.

"Stop asking questions. Just pack your things."

The couple arrived at the Uchiha Mansion six in the evening. Sakura was obviously nervous, but Mikoto looked so happy to see her that she practically hugged Sakura and ignored her younger son.

"Sakura, I'm so glad both of you decided to come back home. I feel so lonely with Itachi and Fugaku gone for work. And you better call me "Mom" from now on. " Sakura just smiled and hugged Mikoto back.

While they were eating, Fugaku and Itachi arrived at home. Sakura stood and greeted them.

"Ah- Okaeri, Fugaku-sama. Itachi-san."

Itachi just nodded and smiled a bit; Fugaku just stared at Sakura and chose to ignore her. He took a seat in his usual place.

Mikoto, feeling slightly awkward, broke the silence by asking her husband about his day. Aside from occasional inquiries by Mikoto, the dinner was entirely quiet.

When Fugaku made a move to leave, Sasuke spoke to stop his father.

"Father, can I have a moment?" For a moment, Fugaku did not respond, but after a minute of consdideration, he went to the opposite direction indicating for Sasuke to follow him.

Sakura worriedly glance at his husband and _her father-in-law_ making their way in the garden. Mikoto smiled reassuringly to Sakura, but that did not put her at ease.

* * *

"Father, I-"

"Did Madara visit you and your wife?" Sasuke just stared at the grass below him, confirming his father's suspicion.

The first thing Madara did when he arrived at the Uchiha Corp was to go straight to Fugaku's office. With a smirk on his face, he told Fugaku not to worry and that his younger son is not a problem anymore.

"You know Madara. He will not stop until you get married to the daughter of his _best business partner._ Considering their conflicts lately in the previous meetings, the only solution he could think is for you to marry that girl. So he can never go back to his word. You know this, Sasuke."

"He threatened Sakura." Sasuke clenched his fists, remembering the conversation he had with his _ever-loving uncle._

"He was only doing this for the sake of the company."

" _Dad_ , Sakura's life is at stake here." It is written among his younger son's face that he's clearly been stressed, worried, and angry at the same time.

"Sasuke. Calm down."

Sasuke tried to calm himself down. He really did. One thing he could not understand was how could his father just get along with Madara's plans all these years. That man only cared about his damn business and the family's reputation.

"Sasuke, if you're smart, you're going to escort Sakura to the airport right now."

"What if I don't want to?"

"You have to."

* * *

Sasuke stared at the ceiling of his room. Sakura was now asleep beside him. He could not sleep thinking what should he do. Would it just be best for them to separate ways? _For her sake?_

He grew up afraid of his Uncle Madara. More than the attention he craved from his own father, he also sought for the approval of the founder of the biggest company in Tokyo. Ever since he was a kid, his father would always tell him that one day, he and Itachi would run the business, that we should continue what Uncle Madara had started.

He would always look at Sasuke from head to toe , scrutinizing his look, then ignore him afterwards. But little did he know, he also checked on Sasuke's grades, ask Fugaku about his interests, sports, hobbies.

When he was in high school, Madara's interest totally shifted to Sasuke. And for that, Sasuke was actually grateful. While his father was busy checking up on Itachi all the time, Uncle Madara would often ask him about what major would he take in college, how was he doing in his school, and sometimes even went to his basketball game.

He thought for that few years that finally someone appreciated him, that someone saw something special in him. But then, college happened.

He specifically chose what major should he take, forbidden him to take into anything sports related, watched him like a hawk. The only thing that he was able to keep from him was Sakura. He knew that he would never approve of his relationship with her.

The power he held around the world is terrifying. He could buy everything. _Literally._ The greatest business leaders among the world bow to him.

It was not a joke when he threatened Sakura. He could do anything he wants. He had this billion of connections all over the world. And with just one call, he could take Sakura's license as a doctor, take away her job back in Europe, call every hospital in this planet and ruin her reputation.

And his head hurts of thinking even _worse possibilities_ that he could to her.

* * *

Morning came after, but Sakura woke up with her husband gone. She left the room in search for Sasuke, but instead found Fugaku in the kitchen.

"Ah- Ohayo, "

"Aa. Sasuke left with Itachi early to go to a business meeting. He said he didn't want to wake you up."

"Uh-I"

"We have to talk." Sakura nervously glanced at the maids surrounding them, but it looked like they were even more scared than her. She carefully seated to the seat across Fugaku and averted her eyes elsewhere.

"Look, I have nothing against you. But, it will be for the best if you leave the country right now."

"Uh? Wh-What? I -I don't understand."

"Sasuke was on his way to meet Yumi Aihara, daughter of one of the business partners of our company. I do not know you, but I think she would be a better match for my son."

"Please, I-I love your son so much I can't stand it. Please don't do this to us. We're married."

"That is why I chose to speak with you. Sasuke is stubborn. He would not listen. You should go back to Europe where your life should be."

Sakura stood up, fighting the tears that threaten to fall down from her eyes. "No! I can't! Stop controlling his life! He-"

"Do you think that _your feelings_ matter? Do you think that if you stay something will change? Madara will not stop until he gets what he wants. And if it includes ruining you or even Sasuke's life, he'll do it. I am merely preventing him to get to you personally. I assure you; you will not like it in one bit."

"So what am I supposed to do now? Run away? You and that Madara fellow are the ones who ruined his life! Let him be happy for once!"

"You fool. Once he hunts you down, there is no turning back."

* * *

Sasuke went home nearly 12 midnight. When he entered his room, he was surprised to see Sakura still awake, anger evident on her face.

"You did not wake me up."

"You looked tired. Didn't want to disturb you."

"So how did the _meeting_ go?" Something in Sakura's tone was completely off that it took Sasuke off guard.

"I am tired, Sakura."Sasuke sighed and proceeded to change his clothes.

"Aren't you going to tell me that you met your supposed to be _fiancee_?"

"What do you want me to do? I didn't know. How am I supposed to tell you." Sakura's inquiries worsen Sasuke's mood further. Keeping his temper in check during the supposed to be business meeting (that turned out to be a wedding meeting) , Itachi tried to give him an apologetic look all throughout the day.

Of course, it was that damn Madara's plan. Yes, indeed, Yumi Aihara is a beautiful, young lady. She only showed gracefulness the entire day. She have this stunning blue eyes, with a long brown hair down her back. He managed to show politeness to her somehow.

Mr. Aihara, on the other hand, had the same aura his Uncle Madara had. Completely opposite to his daughter.

He chose to keep silent throughout the day, only speaking when he was specifically asked. Yumi was a shy one, only taking secretive glances whenever she felt like he was not watching.

Before they left, Sasuke was surprised when Yumi asked him if they could have dinner together. He had no choice but to follow her when she exited the building.

"Look, I know you do not want this." Yumi's soft voice interrupted Sasuke's thoughts of possibly killing Madara himself.

"I asked you out for a dinner to clear this all up. I cannot say I want this either, but I hope that I get to know you better. You're my soon-to-be-husband after all." Sasuke snorted at that.

"I do not know what you're thinking, but this is impossible." Sasuke said without regards to her feelings or whatsoever.

Yumi did not utter another word after that. Sasuke took her back to the Uchiha Corp. where her driver was waiting and left as soon as she went inside the car.

Sasuke chose to take random walks near the Tokyo Tower and decided to go home only after 2 hours, which leave him in the current situation.

"So what now huh? Should we just file a divorce once and for all so you can fuck her?"

"Tch, what is the matter with you? It was just one meeting."

"Oh right yes. A meeting. For you guys to set up the date of your wedding, the cake, the reception. Tell me, am I invited on your wedding?"

"Just stop, Sakura."

"God, you frustrate me, you know that?" Great, now she's crying. Perhaps, this is one of her days. Maybe, she's getting her period again. She could really be emotional, but the day he just had to go through was really more than enough to completely drain the hell out of him. He could not deal with this right now.

When he sighed loudly, Sakura just exited their room without saying a word.

Too much for one day.

* * *

A/N: I tried to make this chapter a little longer to compromise for the long wait. Hope you enjoyed.

I don't know if this is a good or a bad news, but I'm planning to have 2-3 more chapters and maybe an epilogue, and well, that's it. It will depend on the next chapters. See you.


	14. Chapter 13

** Edited : Sorry for the confusion

* * *

 **After 3 years**

Sakura hummed to herself as she sign the papers that will permit her cute, adorable patient Inojin to be released. He got a flu and was confined in the hospital for three days.

A knock on her office door stopped her from burying herself from further paperworks and was greeted by her bestfriend Ino.

"Sakura! He's okay now, right?" Sakura smiles softly to reassure Ino.

"I told you not to worry anymore."

She went inside and Ino followed her. Sakura held up a paper and said.. "See this? My favorite patient will be released tomorrow morning. God, you really become a different person when it comes to your son."

Ino, seems to be satisfied by Sakura's answer, had allowed herself to escape a tear or two in her eyes. "Thank God. I'm so worried! Thank you, Sakura. I would not know what to do if you weren't there."

"It's nothing. Anything for you. Besides, you just have to make sure Inojin drinks his medicines twice a day. He's okay now. You know I love that kid, I would not let anything happen to him." She puts her arms around Ino to calm her down.

Sakura lead Ino to Inojin's room. As they entered the room, Ino couldn't help but to smile as she saw him sleeping peacefully. "I still can't believe how much our lives has changed since then." Sakura remarked.

"Where's Sai by the way?" Sakura asked when Ino made herself comfortable beside Inojin's bed. "Oh right. He brought _her_ with him an hour ago. They are supposed to buy art materials." Ino answers.

Sakura raised an eyebrow in response. "I just hope that husband of yours don't teach anything inappropriate to her."

* * *

Sasuke and Itachi arrived at Romania exactly 9 in the morning. Itachi could not help but observe his younger brother as he glanced all over the place. "It has been almost four years since you've been here, isn't it?" Itachi says after a minute.

"Tch, doesn't matter. Let's just get this over and done with." Sasuke irritably stated.

"Just because you are now my superior, the president, you don't have to act like that to your poor older brother." Itachi smirks. "Like you, I want nothing but to go back to Japan where Izumi is waiting for me."

 _Like anybody would wait for me._

"Sasuke, I know you. Just because you guys had a fight doesn't mean she wouldn't wait for you." With that, Sasuke turned his head in the opposite direction and walked a little faster. Itachi just shook his head as he looked up on his brother's back.

A man not older than 30 accompanied the brothers into a large building where a business meeting would be held.

"President Uchiha, It is an honor to meet such a young President like you. My my, it is such a waste you already have someone back in Japan, huh? My daughter could have been a _good_ match for you." One of the leading businessmen around the world greeted Sasuke as he entered the conference room. Sasuke shook his hand, but did not say anything.

The meeting had dragged on for two hours. It was mostly for new project collaborations, and Sasuke barely talked the whole time. He just agreed or disagreed with the ideas. But when he brought the idea of having the Hyuuga Cars take part of their on-going project, no one disagreed.

"Come to think of it, it would be wise. We still had no company under an automobile industry." One approved. "Yes, in addition to that, it's main operations are located here. We can only hope they cooperate with us well."

"I'll handle the Hyuuga." Sasuke said with a bored expression. "Anything else?" Every one looked into each other and nod silently.

As the brothers exited the building, Sasuke gazed around him. Indeed, a lot can happen in four years. Tall establishments, malls, park. His home once could no longer be found in this city. Apparently, Itachi noticed it. "Want to take a walk?" Sasuke nodded once, and the two of them crossed the street silently.

* * *

Sai was currently buying his art supplies in a store near the hospital. He would like to surprise his son once he recovered from his illness. His son, Inojin, at the age of 3 is gifted. He is very interested in drawings, and sketching. Well, that was to be expected. He is his son after all.

"Oh, what a cute little girl. I didn't know Inojin has a little sister." The store manager noticed the girl, not older than 3, clinging to his pants. Before Sai can respond, the said woman gasped.

"You! I am going to tell Ino! How dare you have another child! She awfully looks like you! Yeah, that must be it." Sai opened his mouth to explain, but the woman was already busy finding her phone.

"Ma'am, it's not like that. You misunderstood." Sai tried to clarify once again. Before she could contact Ino, the woman seemed to reconsider. "Inojin is sick right now, right? I do not want to put her under stress! You better explain yourself to Ino! Or else I am going to be the one to tell her the truth!" Sai looked around them, and he was not surprised that they had quite an audience.

He smiled creepily that lead to the dispersion of the crowd. For that moment, Sai could not thank God enough. He carried the supplies to his chest and moved to the other side of the road. He smiled; _just wait for a little while, Inojin._

He shifted his attention to the little girl still clinging to his pants. She was frowning trying to understand what happened earlier. "Uncle Sai, Inojin has a sibling?" He thought for a while how could she explain this kind of things to a little girl like her.

"You're still too young to understand these kind of things, _Sarada._ " He said after they turned left.

"Oh, you mean the adult thing Mom would always explain to me?" She asked, seeking for further clarity.

"Something like that."

* * *

"Geez, where did that two go? It's been two hours. The store is just a minute away!" Ino rolled her eyes as she heard Sakura exclaimed the same thing for the past ten minutes.

"It looks like I am not the one who is over-protective mother." Ino mumbled when she could not take any more of Sakura's rants.

"I can hear you, Ino-pig!" Sakura says a little loudly.

"Shut up; you'll wake Inojin! Will you relax? Sai is with her. What can possibly happen? Maybe, they just went to get some ice cream like they always do." In contrast to her expectations, Sakura suddenly got mad.

"That damn Sai! I told him no sweets before dinner!" Sakura blurted out.

"Well, your daughter can be very persuasive." Ino nervously said as she recalled giving Sarada chocolates when Sakura took shifts during the evening.

After an hour, Sai entered the room who looked like he just participated in a marathon. He tried to catch a breath; Sakura stood up from her seat, worried on how strange he was acting.

"Sai, are you okay? Where is Sarada?" When he averted his eyes, Sakura panicked. She grabbed his collar and asked once again. "Where is _my daughter_ , Sai?" Her tone low and dangerous.

Ino stood up immediately and separated the two. "What is going on?" She looked into her husband's eyes.

"Sakura, I-"

"Don't you Sakura me! Where is she?!"

"Calm down, Sakura!" Ino reached out for her shoulder, but Sakura caught her hand.

"Mom? Dad? Auntie?" Inojin's voice echoed the room, effectively calming Sakura down. Ino was beside him instantly. "Shh, baby. We're just rehearsing a play for Sarada's birthday, remember? Go to sleep." She kissed his forehead.

Sakura then dragged Sai out of the room. "This is not funny, Sai! If this is another joke of you and Sarada, please." Sakura was crying now.

"She-Sarada is not missing. It's worse than that. Sasuke Uchiha is back here in Romania."

* * *

 _Sai and Sarada were already in front of the hospital when Sarada tugged his pants repeatedly. "Uncle Sai, can we get another ice cream? Please. Pretty please!" She used her adorable pout and puppy-dog eyes that she knew no one could resist. When Sai sighed and turned around, she knew she won. She squealed and jump into the air._

 _They sat at a bench in the park while Sarada was still enjoying her strawberry-flavored ice cream. Sai took that as an opportunity to ask her a little favor. "Since you got your wish, Uncle Sai has a wish too. And only you, Sarada-chan can make it come true."_

" _What is it, Uncle Sai?" She looks at him in wonder._

" _You cannot tell your mother I bought you ice cream. This should be our little secret. You see, Sarada-chan, friends do have secrets. And I want to be your friend."_

" _If I do not tell Mom, then we can be friends?"_

" _That's right. You are smart like your mom, Sarada."_

 _Not too far away from them, Itachi and Sasuke busied themselves taking in sight the developments that occurred in the place. Sarada apparently noticed them who immediately ran towards Itachi. Before Sai could stop her, she was already picked up by the said man._

" _Sarada!" He took a few strides and that was when he notice them. For a moment, he could not speak, could not move. That is when Sasuke spoke and acknowledged him. "Sai"_

" _Uncle Sai! Look, I found my Daddy!" She said while pointing at Sasuke. She then turned her attention to the man who was carrying him. "I know you! I saw you in one of the pictures Daddy left in Mommy's room."_

 _Sai's eyes widened in horror. "Sarada! Get down. It's impolite to Uchiha-san." One of his mistakes._

" _Uchiha-san? One of the nurses called Mommy Uchiha-san the other day too!" Sarada continued her stories in wonder._

 _Itachi held his gaze on Sai for a while, then turned his attention to the little girl. He set her down and asked a few questions. "Sarada-chan, isn't it?" The girl nodded in reply._

" _You should not talk openly to strangers. You do not know what they are going to do to you. They can take you far far away where you cannot see your Mom or your Uncle Sai over there."_

" _But you are not a stranger! He's Daddy! Mom said Daddy is busy at work that's why he did not have time for me! He came to play with me!" Itachi looked to Sasuke, who seemed to be completing some sort of puzzle in his mind._

 _When Itachi did not seem to believe her, Sarada tried to reach out from her pocket. He helped her once he saw her struggling to take it out. "See, this is him and Mommy!" She exclaimed shoving the picture to Itachi's hands._

 _Sasuke peeked from the corner of his eyes only to see a picture of him and Sakura into Itachi's hands. "Little girl, where did you get that?"_

" _It's not Little girl, Daddy! It's Sarada Haruno!" Without waiting for another second, Sai grabbed Sarada's hand. "Time to go, Sarada! Your mom will scold me for sure."_

" _You better have a good explanation about this, Sai." Sasuke blocked their path before they can even take another step._

* * *

"Please tell me you're joking." Sakura let her knees crumble and put her hands on her face.

A few minutes passed, and Sai let her take everything in before helping her to stand up.

"Where is Sarada right now?" She said once she was back on her feet.

"She is right behind you." A very familiar voice answered her. She slowly turned around to see Sarada on Itachi's shoulders with Sasuke looking furious. _He's still incredibly handsome as usual._

"Mommy! Daddy came here for me! See?" Sarada cheerfully said. In which Sakura just smiled, not letting her daughter see her tears.

* * *

Sasuke and Sakura were now inside her office. Sasuke's lips set into frown, his eyes throwing daggers to her.

"Are you going to deny that she's mine?" Sasuke said when she refused to say anything to him. "You left without saying a word to me! And now, I discovered I happen to have a daughter! When are you going to tell me?" Sasuke was trying to catch his breath by now.

"You don't know anything! Just leave and go back to Japan where your life should be. You have a different life now, so do I. Please don't make things any harder."

"You should have thought of that before, Sakura. I am taking Sarada. Since we're not officially divorced yet, might as well make it official by taking my daughter away from the likes of you. I don't care if I have to go through that stupid 2 week rule" He left without giving her another glance.

* * *

A/N: Hi. Everything will be explained in the next chapters :)

** Sakura stayed for almost year in Japan. Hence, it has been four years since Sasuke left Romania.


	15. Chapter 14

Remembering his fight with Yumi yesterday, he could not help but scoff at the coincidence that happened earlier.

" _Please tell me this isn't true." When Sasuke just looked at her like the usual, she continued bursting her heart out. "Sasuke, we've been dating for three years! I thought that you didn't just like me, that you were just forced to be engaged with someone you barely knew. I never understood why your family always scoffs at the idea of our marriage! It turns out you're already married! When are you going to tell me? When Sasuke?"_

 _Sasuke continued to sit quietly on the couch in his room. He's always been like that to Yumi. He never treated her in a bad way, but he also never took interest on her. When Madara would tell him to meet her, he would just comply wordlessly. Yumi would be the one to talk for the both of them._

" _You're leaving for your business meeting in Romania. Will you meet her there?" Only then, Sasuke chose to open his mouth. "I don't know what you find out, but in case you didn't know, she decided on her own that we separate our ways."_

" _And if you meet her there?" Yumi continued to ask questions much to Sasuke's irritation. She was crying and all he wanted was to have a decent sleep before his flight in the afternoon. For God's sake, it is still early in the morning and Yumi just barged in his room without a care._

" _It's been three years, Yumi." Sasuke said not even looking at her. They never had one single fight for three years. The main reason was when they were on a date, or when Yumi chose to visit him in his office, Sasuke barely glance at her. He never argued; he would just nod at her once and ignore her. He had no clue on how to calm her down. This was the first time the prim and proper lady before him cried because of him no less._

" _I-I started to like you, Sasuke. You may never look at me twice, but I accepted the idea of us. I can longer see the future without you. I am not stupid. You and your wife..you may be mad at her for what she had done to you, but you did not insist on divorcing her. You love her and-"_

" _Just shut up! Get out! You don't know anything!" Yumi gasped; she never had seen Sasuke so angry before. She picked up her bag and left the room right away._

He and Itachi were now in his hotel room. Much to his delight, Itachi chose to keep silent the entire time. He figured, he must have been shocked too. Sarada.. she's-she looks just like him. He noticed her eyes that she surely got from Itachi. But, her smile, her cheerfulness.. it was all Sakura.

He always tried to figure out why Sakura left him three years ago. He just woke up without her by his side. He called her repeatedly, messaged her on facebook. No response. He contacted Ino, only for his wife to tell him she did not love him anymore. He did not understand at first; they went through a lot; they fought for their marriage and suddenly she just gave up.

" _Fuck, Sakura! What the fuck did I do?" He desperately asked her on the phone._

" _You did not do anything. I-I just realized that our marriage-it is a huge mistake after all. I-I am sorry. I don't know what I feel for you. I am not so sure about you anymore. Goodbye, Sasuke. Please don't come after me."_

Recalling their last conversation made his head spin. He wasted weeks to get over their broken marriage; he went into clubs drinking all night. Only when his Uncle Madara chose to pick him up on a bar one night did he stop. _She will not come back even if you drink your entire life._

He took over the company from his father, made himself busy so he could forget. He worked hard until late in the evening; he found ways to distract himself from the reality that _she was gone and she left him._

Only for him to go back to Step 1, seeing her there in the hospital clad in a white lab gown with her expressive emerald eyes and unique pink hair that now brushes her shoulder and he misses how he would inhale the scent of her hair when she's asleep.

It was scary when he thought once of this day, that someday Sakura would give him a family of his own. They would be happy, and he would never let anything happen to their child. That she would grow up with love and with her parents to guide her in every decision she will make.

He regrets that he could not give this to his daughter. He could not give Sarada the love of the mother and the father altogether. What he could promise is a bright future for her.

"Are you sure about taking custody of Sarada? You may be her father, but she needs Sakura too." Itachi interrupted his thoughts. "Sasuke, talk to Sakura. It may be the right time to clear things up between you two."

* * *

Sasuke assigned Itachi to talk to the Hyuuga for the upcoming business collaborations. Sasuke, on the other hand, was talking to the receptionist asking his wife's office.

"I am here to see Dr. Sakura." He said to the receptionist.

"Oh you mean Uchiha-san's?" The nurse apparently remembered something horrible and tried to take it back. She covered her mouth, and asked Sasuke not to tell Sakura that she made a mistake calling her Uchiha once again. When he asked her why, she told him about the doctor's tragic relationship with her husband.

"It seems sensitive, you know. I called her Uchiha-san once and you can see how she looked sad. She has a lot of suitors, but she has never said yes to any of them. Poor Sarada-chan." The nurse evidently loved gossips. In a span of two minutes, she had told him about everything he had to know about Sakura for the last three years.

"Ah..sorry to keep you up sir, but I have to make a call to to tell her about your visit. What should I tell her?"

"Tell her it is her husband, Sasuke Uchiha." Sasuke looked satisfied as all the color seemed to drain out of the poor nurse's face.

He knocked twice on her office door; he entered the office silently only for a little girl to jump on him.

"Daddy!" She squealed as Sasuke picked her up. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Sakura smiled slightly on him. He shifted his attention to the Sarada who looked so happy just seeing him. "Daddy! Are we going to the park today?" She asked doing the adorable pout and puppy-dog eyes.

Even before Sasuke can respond, Sarada excitedly added. "Oh can we bring along Mommy? You know, Inojin and Aunt Ino and Uncle Sai..they would always go to the park and they will buy some ice cream and they are just like a _family_ Mommy tells me about."

"Sarada-chan, you know Mommy is busy saving the world, right?" Sakura said approaching the two. "Mommy please. I want to have Mommy and Daddy by my side." Sarada said now with her tears threatening to fall down from her eyes.

"But baby, you have to understand-" Sasuke cut her off when he noticed Sarada crying silently.

"Sarada, Mommy and I will talk, okay? Don't cry." Sasuke said wiping her tears. Sasuke set her down, and Sarada just nodded and ran to Dr. Tsunade's office.

Once their daughter was out of sight, Sasuke spoke. "Sakura-"

"You know this is a bad idea. Sarada may only be 2 and a half years old, but she's smart. She will understand our situation. She needs to know that her Mommy and Daddy cannot be like her Aunt Ino and Uncle Sai. If we grant her wish, we're merely giving her false hopes. I don't want to hurt her more, Sasuke." She cut him off trying her best to stay calm.

"You're the one who denied her a complete family. She suffers because of you, Sakura." Sasuke glared at her.

"Don't you think you will cause her more pain by separating her from me? You think I will be the one you hurt once you separate us? Is this some kind of revenge, Sasuke? I love her the most, and I am willing to give my life for our daughter. She's the best thing that ever happened to me. I am a mother, Sasuke! I feel her pain; I know every damn thing about her! You think I like any of this? God, I want nothing but to give her a complete family!" Chest heaving, Sakura tried to catch her breath and refused to let her tears fall.

"Don't you try and act like a victim! You left! With my daughter no less! You had plenty of chances of telling me, but you didn't. I fought for you! For us! But you left! Without even saying a word of explanation. _You're the only woman I ever loved."_ Sakura could not hold on any longer as she heard the pain in his voice. She refused to look into his face knowing all her resolve will crumble once again. Tears ran down her face. Sasuke, on the other hand, continued with now a quiet, resigned voice.

He looked at her, and he got mad at himself for still caring. He never wanted to see her cry. He never wanted to see her in any pain. "I knew it was hard to marry someone like me, but I thought you wouldn't just give up. In a way, I understood why you left. But that doesn't explain why you choose not to tell me about Sarada. She is my daughter too. It is my right to know. Like you, I want nothing but the best for her. Let me spend some time with her."

He hesitantly walked into her direction to close some distance between the two of them. He reached out to her cheeks, and wiped her tears with his thumbs. "I hate it when I see you cry." which made Sakura even more emotional. _He still loves me. And this is wrong. So wrong._

"Sasuke please." She did not know what she is begging for, for him to stop getting close to her or for him to kiss her already. She _loveslovesloves_ this man. She can't stand it. Sasuke brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear and closed the distance between them altogether.

The kiss they shared lasted for a few seconds when Sasuke chose to pull away first. Her tears hadn't stopped from falling from her eyes, he noticed right away. He let himself be selfish for once. He missed her and the idea of building a family with her. He still could not understand why she was crying. Was she regretting her decision? Was she sorry for him?

"I love you, Sasuke. I never stopped loving you." She said as she buried her face into his chest, listening to the sound of his heartbeat. "If I had a choice, I would never leave you. There is no reason for me to lie to you anymore. You have a life now; this won't make anything different. Your Uncle Madara..he knew about Sarada. I was in the hospital..it turned out he had some guys following me. He asked me to leave Japan and even gave a lot of money..for me just leave you alone. Of course, I didn't agree. But..he- he told me that Mr. Aihara found out about you and me..and that the future of the Uchiha is at stake because of me. And I don't want you or your family suffering because of my selfishness. Sasuke, I-"

Sasuke immediately grabbed her shoulders to face him. "Uncle Madara knew?" He tightened his hold on Sakura's shoulders and Sakura recognized the anger on his voice. "Please calm down, Sasuke. Your company was on the verge of bankruptcy that time, and your father was ill. Look at you now, Uchiha Corp. Is back in its glory. And your uncle.. I heard he is sick. Please, Sasuke. Let's just compromise when Sarada will spend her time with you. I say she gets to be with you 6 months per year in Japan and the rest, she will stay here with me."

"That's bullshit! After you told me everything, do you think I can just let this go?" Sakura, quite taken aback, softly spoke. "I don't. But it will not do you anything good when you make decisions when you are mad. Yumi is waiting for you in Japan, does she? Whatever feelings we have for each other, we cannot be together. You are a President of a company in Tokyo, while my life is here. I am a doctor saving lives. I told you I love you because I cannot stand you not knowing. I want to have a good relationship with the father of my child. I let myself be selfish for once by kissing you, but you know that you have to leave, right?" Sakura smiled sadly. She went on when Sasuke merely looked to the floor. "While you're here, let us make Sarada happy by seeing her Mommy and Daddy on good terms. Shall we?"

* * *

They went to the park the day after when Sakura was on a day-off. Sarada was in between them; her right hand holding her Daddy's left, while her left hand holding her Mommy's right. They were walking along the park. She giggled happily.

Once they were seated on the bench with Sarada still in the middle, she kissed both of their cheeks. She explained that it was her thank you gift for granting her wish that earned a soft laugh from her mother and an ice cream from her father much to her delight.

While she was busy eating her ice cream, unknown to her, her parents stole secretive glances at each other.

"Mommy, why do you blush? Are you sick?" Sasuke could not help but smirk.

* * *

A/N: 2 more chapters, I think? :) Special thanks to WhiskyGirl who inspired me to update the soonest. I also hope this chapter answered your questions. Thank you to everyone who continue to read my first ever fanfic. I love you guys.


	16. Chapter 15

As Sakura and Sarada accompanied the Uchiha brothers to the airport, Sasuke couldn't help but soften his eyes at how Sarada was bravely holding back her tears. He and Itachi had spent an entire week in Romania. Sakura tried to talk about making their divorce official..but he refused to talk about it. He did not even know if they had to go through the 2-week bullshit again. Not that he was complaining. Actually, if he thought about it, he would be spending a time off from work, and well there's Sakura.

Except that, they would go through the same process all over again, and he could clearly recall how did it affect the both of them. He did not want to hurt her again. The pain of not being together was like being shoved in their faces the minute they agree to spend 2-weeks with each other. Sakura's right; there was just no way they could be selfish and ran-off. First, they had a lot of responsibilities, her being a doctor, and he as the president of their company. Second, Yumi was waiting for him back home. He did not like her, but she was kind, and understanding. Which lead him to think about what would be her reaction once she finds out about Sarada.

He wanted to fight for them, he does. But the last time he did, it clearly did not work out. They had tried a lot of times. Sakura built her life here in Romania without him; she achieved her dreams, and he would not take it away from her. However, he still don't know how is this going to work. Sarada was going to school eventually; Sakura's suggestion of Sarada staying with him half of the year will not work.

If he was the man three years ago, he would take Sakura and Sarada away where no one could find them. Consequences be damned. Sarada existing complicated a lot of things, but for the short time he got to know her, she became the most precious one in his life. She is family.

"Daddy? Will you come visit me again?" Sarada's voice interrupted his train of thoughts as they continued to walk along the airport.

Sasuke crouched down in able to face her. "I promise. And if your Mommy will give her permission, I would like to introduce you to your Grandpa and Grandma." He said, side-glancing Sakura in the process.

"I get to ride on an airplane? That's really cool! Mommy, will you let me go on an adventure with Daddy?" Sarada excitedly asked, forgetting for a second that her dad was leaving.

Sakura smiled. "Of course, sweetie. You will get to meet Grandma; I am sure she will spoil you. Not that you are not yet spoiled by your Uncle here." Sakura threw daggers at Itachi, remembering how he took Sarada without Sakura nor Sasuke's knowledge and went into a mall to buy her tons of toys and sweets.

Itachi pretended not to listen and looked in the opposite way. Sasuke chose that opportunity to pick his daughter. "I will miss you so much, Daddy. And also Uncle Itachi. Don't get mad if I call you everyday, okay?" She said while trying not to let her tears fall. "I love you Daddy." She kissed his cheek and buried her face into the pit of his neck.

Sakura smiled sadly. Looking at the most two important persons in her life, she could not help but feel the pain making its way to her heart.

Itachi, on the other hand, observed the small family before him. He could not help but feel sorry for his younger brother. The way he was clutching tightly Sarada's shirt on her back suggested how he did not want to part ways with his daughter. He was trying to act strong in front of Sarada.

Sakura was seemingly holding back too. He could see how she tried her best not to break down right at the moment. He looked at the scene unfolds, and that's when he decided to push Sakura to Sasuke.

"Woah- wait. Itachi!" Sakura, surprised to the action. But, she was even more surprised to feel that Sasuke had eventually snaked his other arm around her waist. "Sasuke…" which Sasuke only told her to shut up in response.

Sarada was crying now, and he could see that Sakura chose to put her arms around his brother. Itachi could not imagine the pain that stabbing Sasuke's chest right now. He felt helpless, if he could just do something for them.

Sasuke, at last, kissed both of their foreheads when he heard the announcement calling the attention of the passengers of their flight. "I love you." Sasuke whispered to both his girls's ears. He then turned to Sarada. "I'll see you when I am back. Be a good girl to your mother." Sasuke tried to hand Sarada to Sakura, but Sarada did not want to let go.

"Sweetie, Daddy will come back. He promised, right?" Sakura said trying to persuade her daughter. When Sarada eventually let go, Sasuke deposited her to Sakura's waiting arms. He looked at both of them with pained expression one last time before getting his suitcase. He chose to ignore Sarada's shouts of Daddy because he knew he would not be able to let go this time.

* * *

Sarada had been crying for an hour now since they left the airport, and Sakura tried giving her the sweets that she never refused, but her poor daughter apparently would not stop crying until there were no more tears to shed. She expected a bad reaction from Sarada, but not like this.

"Sara-chan, please stop crying. Daddy will also get sad once he finds out that you are sad." But Sarada did not seem to listen to any word she had to say. In the end, Sakura hugged her daughter and weep silently. "Baby, I know. We both love Daddy. But, you will understand once you grow up. I am here no matter what. Okay? Daddy doesn't want to leave you."

"Mommy! I want Daddy! Please!" She hugged her daughter tightly because she knew she could not give her what she wanted.

When Sarada fell asleep with all the crying that she had done for hours, Ino checked up on them in her office. "She's sleeping now?" Sakura nodded while caressing her daughter's cheeks.

"God, your daughter's cries can be heard all the way downstairs. It must have been hard for her, finally meeting her father, then leaving her once again." When Sakura opened her mouth, Ino shook her head to allow her to finish.

"I understand that you have made your decision, but Sasuke fought for you once. I think it's your time to fight for your family this time. You had no choice but to leave him before. You got your reason, but you have Sarada now. She needs a father. And Sasuke clearly loves Sarada, and I know he loves you still." She places a hand on Sakura's shoulder. "And you love him too. You always have. That is the same reason why you left him in the first place. You love him too much not to let his family suffer even if it cost your marriage. Sakura, I don't want to see you suffering anymore. You may have achieved your goals here, but you will never be truly happy without him, right? Please make yourself happy for once and for all."

Sakura embraced her best friend tightly. "I don't want to ruin his life, Ino."

"You're just making things right. How can you ruin his life when he will get what he wanted in the first place. You and Sarada." Ino reassures her best friend calmly.

"I don't know, Ino. I don't want to hurt anyone."

"You're already hurting yourself, Sasuke, and Sarada. Just think, Sakura. You don't want to commit the same mistakes again; I get it. As your best friend, I am merely giving you a suggestion. The choice is still yours."

* * *

The Uchiha brothers arrived at home late in the evening. Mikoto greeted her sons warmly and kissed both of their cheeks. "How was your flight?" She asked Itachi.

"Long and tiring." Her son responded quickly. She then shifted her attention to Sasuke. He seemed tensed, nervous even. He avoided any eye contact to everyone. "What is the matter, Sasuke? Are you sick?" She put her palm to his forehead to check on his temperature.

"I'm fine, Mom."

"No, you aren't. I know you. What happened?" She then turned to Itachi. Itachi looked into Sasuke's direction as if asking for approval. "You might need to sit for this." Her elder son suggested after seeing Sasuke nod his head.

The maids took care of their belongings, and the family proceeded to the living room. Fugaku immediately took notice of the Sasuke's heavy expression. Once they were all seated, Itachi proceeded to explain the situation.

"We met Sakura in Romania." He began which gained a disapproving look from their father and a worried expression from their mother. "We also met Sarada." Itachi continued.

"Who is that?" Fugaku asked when Itachi paused for awhile assessing their reactions. Sasuke, who kept silent the entire time, suddenly spoke. "She-She's my daughter. Sakura and I have a daughter."

No one dared to speak fro a while. Itachi brought out his phone from his pocket and showed the picture of a cheerful girl with black hair and onyx eyes to his still speechless mother. You can feel happiness radiating from Sarada as you look at the picture. She was smiling fully hugging a teddy bear that Itachi brought for her when they went out once.

"She-Her eyes are just like yours, Itachi. But aside from that, she is all you, Sasuke." Her mother said staring at the picture with now a small smile on her face. "Though she looks just like Sakura when she smiles like that. Sasuke, when can I see her?"

Sasuke did not want to ignore her mother's excitement, yet he wanted to know what would his father say about his granddaughter. "These complicate things, but she's your daughter. And I think I would like to meet my granddaughter." Hearing those words from his father eased Sasuke's worries. He exhaled a sigh of relief.

"We could contact her via Skype." Itachi suggested which made their mother clasp her hands in excitement, but eventually shook her head.

"Though I think it will be best to do it tomorrow. I want you two to sleep." Mikoto suggested.

* * *

A week had passed since Sasuke left. Sarada had been calling her Daddy often. Sakura could clearly see how much her daughter loves her father. She loved talking to him about her day spent with Inojin which earned a frown from Sasuke.

" _Don't you think Sarada has been spending too much time with that kid?" Sasuke asked her one time._

" _God, Sasuke! They're kids! All they do is play around and eat and cry and sleep. Wait, is this because Inojin is a boy?" A moment of silence settled between the two of them. "We're not talking about this until she's in high school, Sasuke."_

Sakura had been scared about Mrs. Uchiha's reaction about Sarada. She knew Sasuke's mother always wanted a grandchild, but Sakura chose to keep it a secret for three years. Now, Sarada was bubbling to her grandmother about her Uncle Itachi cooking her favorite spaghetti last week.

"Grandma! Uncle Itachi is a super-cook! Did you teach him how to cook?" Sarada said with her eyes widening in wonder. Sakura noticed how Mikoto laughed and smiled softly. Her daughter insisted to call Sasuke once again this day on Skype, but Mikoto was the one to answer explaining Sarada that her dad is on the shower right now.

"Your Uncle Itachi is a genius; I don't have to teach him anything. But if you like, Grandma and Sarada-chan can cook the best spaghetti in the world once you get here." Sarada smiled widely in response and giggled. "Sarada-chan, can I talk to Mommy for a second?" Sarada nods slightly and jogged her way to Sakura.

Once Sarada left the room to play elsewhere, Sakura bows her head and apologizes quickly. "Mrs. Uchiha, I know that your family has the right to get mad at me. I truly am sorry. I did not mean to keep her away from you." Mikoto shook her head, and smiled sadly.

"Whatever the reason for it, I know you did what you have to do at that moment. I'm just glad I get to meet Sarada now. She's very smart for her age. You did a great job as a mother, Sakura." Sakura did not understand how can Mrs. Uchiha so kind, so forgiving.

As a mother, Sakura learns a lot of things. She loves Sarada so much. She will give up everything for her only daughter. Being a mother is a beautiful thing. Sarada's smiles can lighten up her mood easily as much as her cries makes Sakura wants to cry too.

Sarada is a gift of love. And now, Sakura understands how can Sasuke's mother be so gentle, be so kind.

And yes, mothers do _everything_ for their children.

* * *

Sasuke was in his office with stacks of paper on his desk need to be signed immediately. He sighed for the nth time that day since entering the building. It was already past 2 in the afternoon and he had not had lunch yet. Well, it was not new to him, but this do not happen every day. _No wonder Father got sick._

Itachi entered his office without even bothering to knock and proceeded to take a seat on a couch near his table. "I'm busy" Sasuke said without even looking up.

"Yeah, I can see that. But you haven't eaten yet. And may I remind you, you had coffee for breakfast."

Sasuke, still reading one of the documents, did not even bother to made a comment which earned a now standing Itachi in front of him.

"You _only_ had coffee for breakfast, Sasuke. And if this continues, I wouldn't be surprised if you drop dead in the hospital. And I don't want to be the one explaining Sarada what happened to her father."

Sasuke exhaled through his nose, and finally looked up to his now unimpressed brother. He rolled his eyes and stood up from his seat. "Fine. I'll go take a break."

On his way out of the building, he saw Yumi coming out of the car and approaching him. _Great, just great. Not another argument. Not today. Just please._

But to his surprise, she leaned up and planted a kiss on his lips. "Welcome back. It's been a week and we never even had a chance to sort things out." She smiled brightly. He was still completely off guard with the way Yumi was acting; she was never bold like that. They never had kissed before (not in the lips for that matter) and he thought of what possibly she was thinking at the moment.

"I came here to apologize. I lost my temper. I am sorry, Sasuke."

Before Sasuke can open his mouth, a little girl had suddenly jump towards Sasuke and called him Daddy. As he looked down to his right leg, he saw the familiar black hair and onyx eyes that stared at him in wonder.

"I miss you Daddy!" Sasuke did not waste a second before picking her up and searched through the crowd to see Sakura standing awkwardly a little far away to his left.

Yumi, on the other hand, stood there frozen in her spot trying to figure out what was happening. She slowly looked into where Sasuke's gaze and saw a beautiful lady with a bright emerald eyes and a glossy pink hair. She smiled sadly. _So it is her, huh?_

Sasuke turned to face Yumi. "Yumi, I can explain." But Yumi's gaze was still towards Sakura.

"Daddy! Who is she? Can we be friends?" At the sound of Sarada's voice, Yumi turned back her attention to Sasuke and the little girl in front of her.

Yumi looked into Sasuke's eyes and to the girl he was holding. _They have a daughter. They are a family._ She realized at that exact moment that there was nothing between Sasuke and her in the first place. She quietly walked towards Sakura and whispered _"Sasuke loves you so much."_ She walked away not letting her tears fall right there.

* * *

A heavy silence settled between Sasuke and Sakura once they got into his office with now a sleeping Sarada on the couch. Sakura was busy stroking her daughter's hair while Sasuke kept his eyes outside the windows. Sakura kissed her daughter's forehead and slowly walked towards Sasuke.

"Sasuke, I- I- You may have been angry with me right now for making rash decisions, but this is what I want. This is what you want. This is what our daughter needed. I-I have to be the one fighting for us this time!" She exclaimed with Sasuke's back still turned to her.

"I know I don't deserve it! I know I am taking matters again on my own! I know I hurt you by not trusting you enough to tell you things before. But Sasuke, I-I love our daughter and I cannot stand seeing her suffering because you are million miles away from her! I don't want her to suffer just like I have, growing up with no parents to guide her." She continued trying to catch her breath.

Carefully, Sasuke turned to face her this time. He walked towards her and stopped at a careful distance between the two of them. "I made the same mistake before by keeping you in the dark because I wanted to protect you. But this is not that simple, Sakura."

"I know, but I love you and I love Sarada and I know you love me and your daughter." Sakura said placing her arms around Sasuke's neck. "That's the most important thing, right? I love you."

That, Sasuke cannot argue with.

He slowly put his hands on her waist and brought heir foreheads together.

* * *

A/N: One more chapter. I am still not sure if I'm going to write an epilogue. Thank you for sticking up to me until now. Thank you for your time and patience, my dear readers! I had a lot of fun writing this. As for my other story, I will finish this first before focusing completely to KRF. I cannot promise when will be the next update, but this will surely end this year.


	17. Chapter 16

Itachi entered Sasuke's office when he passed by one of the employees who greeted him and told him that she had seen _Mr. President_ on his way back to his office. He was about to scold his little brother and teach him the difference between eating lunch and taking a 5-minute break only for him to see the familiar pink-haired girl.

They were not still aware of his presence yet.. He hated to break them apart for he swore his little brother was about to kiss her. Well..he would just apologize later on. He cleared his throat to gain the couple's attention. A very flustered Sakura Haruno turned around and stared unblinkingly to him, and a not impressed Sasuke scowled at him. (Itachi guessed that it had something to do with him interjecting.)

"I apologize for interrupting. But Sasuke, I told you to eat. Oh well, since you are now here, Sakura, you can scold him for me. After all, you're the doctor. And Welcome back." True to Itachi's suspicion, a frown made its way to Sakura's face; she turned back her attention to a now completely defeated Sasuke who sighed in the process.

In a span of ten minutes, a lot had happened and lunch was the last thing in Sasuke's mind. Now that _his family_ is back, he could not help but to worry about his fucking Uncle Madara's reaction. He scoffed at the thought. In the very first place, he threatened Sakura and even his daughter to stay away from him. He even perceived the existence of Sarada as a threat. A threat to his fucking business. That he could not forgive.

He looked back to the amount of paperwork he had to read and sign as if to explain _his wife_ about the situation..only for Sakura to cross her arms and raised an eyebrow at him.

"You're busy? Is that your excuse? Do you want to orphan our child?" Sakura exclaimed to which Sasuke rolled his eyes at her over exaggeration.

"What? Like you do not overwork yourself? I know you, Sakura." He retorted.

Itachi watched as the couple bickered like they hadn't been separated for years. He shifted his attention to his sleeping niece on the couch. Sarada stirred a bit, but nonetheless did not wake up. With the _loud public display of affection_ of her parents, no one will ever get some sleep.

"You two. You're disturbing your daughter. Sasuke..just go have your lunch. Bring along your wife with you. I'll take care of Sarada."

* * *

While they were on their way to the Uchiha mansion, Sarada excitedly asked Sasuke about spending time with her and _Grandma_ cooking spaghetti. Sasuke was driving his 2015 Audi A8 with Sakura seated beside him. When Sasuke did not respond, Sarada pouted and pestered him about it. Since Sarada was seated at the back of the car with her seat belt on, she could not see the way her parents exchange glances as if communicating how to explain to her how busy her father is.

Sakura turned her face to Sarada and explained to her that she would instead cook with her and Grandma only for Sarada to sulk quietly on her seat. "Sarada-chan, you know how busy Daddy is? If you like, I will ask Uncle Itachi." When Sarada still ignores her, Sakura massaged her temple.

"Sarada, is that the right way to treat your Mommy?" Sakura always loved to see her daughter smile and laugh, but sometimes you also have to discipline your child. She had to know that there will be times that she cannot get what she wanted. Sakura knew that lately Sasuke and Itachi has treated her like a princess, but she should not be accustomed with that kind of attitude. She let them for a while since she knew how much they love Sarada, however, for a very young age, Sakura wanted her daughter to instill values that she will remember once she grew up.

Sasuke, sensing Sakura's patience thinning, sighed and looked into the rear view mirror. He noticed how Sarada was bravely holding in her tears. He did not want to promise her anything; he did not want to break any promises to her. So he remained silent..focusing on the road ahead of him. Having said that, he could not help but assure her that he would definitely find the time to spend with her.

Sarada did not lighten up in one bit. He looked into Sakura who mouthed words along the lines of spoiling her again and not making promises he could not keep. Sarada stayed quiet throughout the journey until the gates of the Uchiha mansion came into her view.

"Woaah! Wow! Mommy, look! So pretty lights!" Sarada exclaimed pointing out the changing colors of the Christmas lights surrounding the trees as they enter the gates of the mansion; she completely forgotten about her earlier sentiment with her parents. Sakura, in turn, giggled as she remembered her same reaction as her daughter when she first managed to enter the mansion. She could still remember the gardens where Sasuke's mother would spend most of her time with..the pool, the enormous bedrooms, the library. She kind of missed it.

When Sasuke parked right outside the door, Sakura suddenly became aware of how will Sasuke's father react to her sudden appearance once again. As if reading her mind, Sasuke put his hand over hers and squeezed it as if to assure her.

A maid, Sakura recalled, named Chizu widened her eyes as she realized who the young Mr. Uchiha brought along with him. The said maid looked at her with a bright smile and politely bowed her head in respect. Sakura, taking in her appearance, did not waste a second to hug Chizu. "I miss you, Chizu! How are you?"

"I've been well. You look beautiful as ever, Miss Sakura!"

Sensing Sasuke's eyes on them, Chizu abruptly pulled away and bowed her head to greet him. The said maid shifted her attention to a little girl clinging to Sasuke's pants and bowed her head as well.

"Come on, Chizu! I told you not to do that anymore! Oh! Sarada baby, come here, this is Aunt Chizu." Sakura introduced the little girl, who Chizu noted to be like the female version of Mr. Sasuke.

"Hello. I am Sarada. Nice to meet you." Chizu was about to shake the little girl's hand when a very excited Mikoto tackled Sarada into a tight hug.

"Hi dear! It's me, Grandma Mikoto! You look just like Sasuke when he was your age!" Mikoto exclaimed cheerfully. With Itachi coming home earlier than his brother, he kind of given his parents an idea as to what he had encountered in Sasuke's office earlier that afternoon. He phrased it along the lines of Sasuke having an adorable visitor.

Sarada grinned widely and kissed Mikoto on the cheek. Out of the corner of Sarada's eyes, she took notice of her grandfather watching them silently. She pulled away from her grandmother and proceeded to hug her grandfather. "Hi Grandpa!" She squealed and cling into Fugaku's pants. The said man looked into Sasuke's eyes as if asking for an explanation. When his son only shrugged, he glanced at the woman standing beside him.

Sakura, his son's wife, stood there nervously playing with the hem of her shirt. She refused to look into his direction. A week ago, when his sons informed them about the existence of his granddaughter, he did not know how to react. He always knew that his wife, Mikoto, is giddy at the thought. Hence, reminding Itachi all the time to marry Izumi already and give her grandchildren. Seeing his wife so happy of having Sarada and meeting her for the first time reminded him of how Mikoto would always tend to Itachi and Sasuke when they were still young.

Having a kid again in his house felt _exhilarating._ He might not be good at expressing one's self like his wife, he is indeed happy to have Sarada in his house. He crouched down to Sarada's level. "Nice to finally meet you, Sarada."

Fugaku asked the maids to take care of _their visitors'_ belongings and to prepare the dinner at once. Sakura, on the other hand, did not dare to utter a single word until they were seated in the dining room. Noticing her Mom's inner turmoil, Sarada looked at her mother in concern. "Mommy, are you tired?" Sakura just smiled lightly and tucked Sarada's hair behind her ears.

After the dinner is over, Mikoto asked Sarada to come with her in the living room explaining she has gifts for her to which Sarada jumped from her seat and squealed in delight. Now that Sarada could not hear any of them, Fugaku turned his attention fully to Sakura.

"We have to talk, young lady." Sasuke was about to retort, but Sakura only shook her head and told him it's alright. Itachi, who was seated across the couple, stood up and made his way to Sasuke telling him to join Sarada in the living room.

With Fugaku and Sakura alone in the dining room, Sakura quickly apologized about fleeing without notice and taking away their granddaughter away from them. "Sir, really, I do regret what had happened. I did it because-"

"I am very much aware of your reasons. Sasuke told me." He paused for a few seconds to study her reaction. "I did not acknowledge you as my daughter-in-law. I hope you do realize that what was I doing years ago was what I thought my son's best interests. I will not apologize neither should you. We may had a lot of differences in our views in life, but Sakura, we have something in common. And that is my son. And now, Sarada. I am no longer the president of the Uchiha corp. I can already be the father to my sons. I will not interfere anymore with their relationships. Sasuke is already old enough to make wise decisions, and I trust him."

Completely caught off-guard, Sakura just stared at the man across from her for a few seconds. "I-I..I love your son. And I promise I will not leave him again. No matter what happens."

And, she was even more surprised to his response.

"Good."

* * *

Sarada had slept in between her parents inside her Daddy's room. Waking up before her parents, she kissed both of their cheeks to wake them up. To her frustration, they did not open their eyes and only smiled in their sleep. That was when Sarada decided to go out of the room and head downstairs.

Itachi, noticing the kid on the stairs, picked her up and asked where her parents are. "You should not go downstairs alone, Sara-chan. You might fell and hurt yourself." Sarada explained that her Mommy and Daddy were still asleep and did not want to disturb them.

Waking up only after an hour when Sarada left the room, Sakura felt strong arms wrapped around her waist. "Sasuke, where's our daughter?" She asked without bothering to open her eyes. Sasuke kissed her shoulder and buried his face into her hair as if to distract her.

"Hmmm..who knows?" Sasuke sleepily replied. Sakura was quick to disentangle herself from Sasuke and immediately sat up much to Sasuke's disappointment. "Sakura, go back to bed." Sasuke instructed. And, when Sakura purposely ignored her husband, Sasuke decided to sat up as well and hug her from behind halting her from leaving the room.

"We have the room to ourselves, Sakura. Why not take this advantage." Sasuke suggested giving butterfly kisses along Sakura's neck and shoulder. As much as she wanted to give in to her husband's err.. seduction, Sarada would definitely wonder why her parents are taking so long. "Sasuke, you have work. You're already late actually." She said looking at the clock hanging in the wall.

"Who cares. It's been a while, Sakura." Without waiting for a reply, Sasuke quickly swept her off her feet and deposited her on the bed. His face hovered inches away from hers, he dragged the tip of his nose down the bridge of hers. Sakura muffled a giggle before closing the distance between the two of them.

On the other hand, the Uchiha family was eating their breakfast except for Sasuke and Sakura. Mikoto, this time, had initiated to feed her granddaughter. "Grandma, should we wake up Mommy and Daddy?" Itachi was quick to reply. "It's okay, Sara-chan. Your parents are surely enjoying themselves."

"Itachi!" Mikoto warned her son, giving him a glare saying that it he is talking to a toddler. "What do you mean enjoying themselves, Uncle?" This time, Fugaku shook his head to Itachi. "They were very tired, Sarada. They need to enjoy their sleep."

Itachi muttered a quiet _yeah, right very tired from all the sleeping._ Fugaku sighed at his son's antics and continued eating. And when they were almost finished eating, Sarada had insisted to wake them already. Mikoto was about to give an excuse, but Itachi already _volunteered happily_. Mikoto could not help but think as to why Itachi loves teasing his little brother so much.

Without bothering to knock, Itachi reached for the doorknob to throw the door wide open, but he figured it was locked confirming his suspicion. _Poor Sara-chan, unaware of how indeed tired her parents are._ He knocked loudly three times. "Sasuke! Just continue what you're doing later! You are late for work."

* * *

News had spread about a mysterious pink-haired girl entering _Mr. President_ 's office weeks prior. Many of the employees speculated that Mr. Sasuke Uchiha had been cheating on his fiancee Ms. Yumi as to reason why she stopped bothering to visit Mr. Sasuke. Often, the employees would also notice a kid hanging around their president.

The gossip had reached Itachi. So much for nonsense, he thought. He was about to tell a word about it to his brother when he heard a commotion right outside Sasuke's office.

"YOU HAVE NO RIGHT SENDING THEM AWAY!" Sasuke furiously snarled at his visitor. "You have no right to control my life like that!" Chest heaving, Sasuke tried to calm himself down reminding himself that his damn Uncle Madara is still sick and it will do them no good if he lost his temper.

Madara, in contrast to his nephew, just stared at the young man in front of him. An informant had mentioned about Sakura Haruno coming back to Tokyo. Hence, the reason why he was here paying a visit to Sasuke. His informant, however, failed to mention about Sasuke knowing about everything that transpired three years ago. _That woman, such a loud mouth._

"She finally told you, huh? I do not care if you curse me. I was doing what is right. And now that woman is back, the partnership with the Aihara's will definitely be as good as gone. She made quite a mess, is that your wife, Sasuke? A selfish, foolish, good for nothing woman." In a blink of an eye, Sasuke grabbed his collar.

"Don't you dare call Sakura like that. Selfish? You're the one who's selfish treating your own damn family like toys. If you think that you can toy around me like what you did to Father, you are wrong. I don't give a damn anymore. Once you touch either Sakura or Sarada, I swear to you I will forget that you are my Uncle or that you are sick." Sasuke said in a cold, low voice.

"What an ungrateful brat you are. After everything I did, after choosing you as the successor and not your older brother, you show me no respect. Just because you are now the President of my own company, you have to act like I owe you one. Everything you have up until now was because of me. I think, Sasuke, you should not forget that. If weren't for me, you will not be able to finish college." Madara indicated.

Sasuke finally released Madara and scoffed at him. "I think you're wrong. Respect is earned, and you don't deserve any. You know as well as I do, Itachi will not tolerate your pompous attitude like I did for three years, that's why you chose me. And I think you should also not forget that it is my Father who brought Uchiha Corp to the top. It was him. Under your leadership, Uchiha corp was nothing but a crap. You did not care about the employees, all you care about is your damn money." He paused for a while and send him a dangerous glare. "So what, come on, take back the position you had given me. Let's see how will Uchiha Corp fall. I will also remind you that three years ago, it was your fault having our company suffer from bankruptcy."

Sasuke stormed off his office room and shut the door with a bang, brushing past Itachi in the process.

* * *

Currently, Sakura had been preparing her documents in order to transfer to Tokyo General Hospital. With Sarada playing around the garden with her grandparents and both Itachi and Sasuke at work, she finally had a time to give time and attention to her pending application to Tokyo General Hospital. With Tsunade's recommendation, she was gladly welcomed and was just waiting for certain documents to be processed.

A knock on her bedroom startled her; opening up, Chizu informed her that she has a visitor. Frowning in thought, she asked the maid who it is, but her visitor specifically told the maid not to mention it until they meet. "Uhhh.. Miss Sakura, don't worry. She said that you know her and uh..I know she won't do anything err.. to harm you or something."

Curiously, she followed the said maid to the living room. At first she thought it to be Madara, but Chizu said _she_. Sitting comfortably in the sofa, is no other than Yumi Aihara, who stood and smiled at her lightly at Sakura's appearance.

Shocked is an understatement as to what Sakura's reaction when she saw the woman. "Uhhh.. Sasuke's not here." Sakura finally said when Chizu left them a few seconds ago.

"I know. I told Chizu that I wanted to talk to you. You, Sakura. I want to clear things up between the two of us." The said woman took a seat and Sakura averted her eyes as she took as seat as well across from her. Sakura swallowed nervously. She did not know personally the woman, but finding out that your fiancee is married and with a child no less, she could not even imagine the pain this lady is going through right now.

"First of all, I am not mad at you. Just to be clear. To be honest, I want to apologize. For what did my Dad and Mr. Madara had done to jeopardize your marriage. I apologize for being dense and having been the reason for all those years you got separated." She paused for a second and sip the orange juice Chizu prepared for the two of them. "I have always followed my Dad's wishes because I am the only remaining person in his life that truly cares for him. He loves me so much and I trust his decisions. That's why you no need to worry about the partnership between the Aihara's and the Uchiha's. I convinced my dad to push through our investments."

She looked right outside the window to stare at the little girl running along the gardens. "Sasuke is a good man. Despite having been the circumstances, he never mistreated me. To be honest, I started liking him. Aside from his good looks and intelligence, he is kind, thoughtful. I see the way he regards his mother and father with respect. I could not wish any other man than him." Yumi smiled sadly. "I also saw the way he treats your daughter, who looks just like Sasuke by the way." She giggled softly. "I bet he spoils her."

Sakura was at loss for words. How can this woman so kind, so tender. So understanding. "I- Yumi, I do not know what to say." Yumi just smiled at her. "We are both victims here, Sakura. But..we don't need to act like one. There is no need for me to be bitter or to curse you. We deserve happiness. And I am letting myself be free from all the ill feeling to achieve that happiness. I know that one day, the right guy will come for me. You do not need to be sorry for me. You just happened to find the right one sooner than me."

Sakura stood up from her seat and sit beside her. "Thank you Yumi. You are one of the most compassionate, understanding women I ever met. Even if you said you are not mad at me, I still am sorry for the circumstances that happened between the two of us. I regret that we met in this kind of err..situation. Maybe someday when we meet once again, I can call you my friend. And whoever that guy is, he sure is lucky to have you."

Silent tears had escaped Yumi's eyes and before she can think about it, she pulled Sakura into a hug. "I promise to be happy. So you and Sasuke should be happy too." She whispered into Sakura's ear.

* * *

A word had spread that the Aihara's will not pull out their investment despite Sasuke having been rebel about marrying Yumi. Madara, along with his other trusted men, walked along the Tokyo airport for his flight to America. Having been sick lately, a specialist had suggested for him to stop working and instead focus on taking care of himself.

Madara, looking back at the view of the Uchiha Corp. from the airport, reminisced about his younger days wherein he worked day and night just to bring glory and gain a good reputation and recognition among its competitors. Remembering his earlier conversation (argument) with his nephew, he scoffed at how clueless Sasuke had been. Whatever he was doing now as the president of the company, it was not nearly as half as to what he did back then.

Yes, he admitted that there were times wherein he made bad choices, but truly enough, if weren't for him, Uchiha Corp. would not be known worldwide. His decision to finally retire was for him to find peace in his remaining days to his world. He did not need to have Fugaku or any of his other relatives to accompany him to the airport. With Fugaku promising that Uchiha corp would maintain its standing, he was contented to finally leave the country.

* * *

 **After Five Years**

Sasuke and Sakura celebrated Sarada's birthday back to Europe, having been able to grant their daughter's wish to finally see her Aunt Ino, Uncle Sai and Inojin again. Sarada, now at seven, is considered to be a genius in the class. Her parents are very proud of her achievements, boosting Sarada's confidence every time they praise her for a job well done.

As they visit the park that Sarada used to go to, a familiar blonde guy caught Sasuke's attention out of the corner of his eye. Not a second later, the said man had waved his hand up in the air. "Sasuke! It's me your bestfriend, Naruto Uzumaki!" He yelled and and tackled Sasuke to a hug. Sasuke scowled in response and tried to disentangle himself from the man.

"You're still an idiot." Sasuke bluntly said to his friend.

"Is that you way to greet me? Man, I haven't seen you since forever! Although I see your daughter's posts in facebook now and then, it's still different when I talk to you like this. How's life man? Or should I say Mr. President? And oh, my son, Boruto, I am taking him to the park today. I told you about him, right?" Sasuke rolled his eyes at Naruto. They may not talk everyday but the blonde had still been asking him how he has been for years.

Naruto had also left Romania years ago after Sasuke had left since he was assigned into one of the branches of the Hyuuga Cars in America. Now that the idiot is back in Europe, he could finally ask him how can the heiress of the said company fell in love with a man like him.

"Hey! Hinata just truly appreciated a good man, unlike you, Sakura-chan!" Naruto shifted his attention to the woman beside him. "I can never understand how can you put up with this bastard over here." Sakura just laughed lightly.

Turning his attention to his son who almost fell down from the seesaw, Naruto quickly excused himself and introduced himself to Sarada who was playing with Inojin nearby. "I am your Daddy's most handsome bestfriend, believe it! This is my son, Boruto. You two should be friends from now on." Looking at Sasuke, he whispered loudly. "How about marry Boruto so that we can be a huge, happy family!" Sarada blushed in mortification and looked at her father who glared at Naruto dangerously.

"Like hell, my daughter would marry an idiot's son." Sasuke said in a low voice to his wife. Sakura laughed in response and intertwined their hands to calm her husband down. "Shh.. Naruto's just joking, you know that. Just like that, Sasuke sighed and turned his full attention to his wife who is now 4 months pregnant.

Sakura leaned her head to her husband's shoulder and contentedly watched Sarada play with the other children in the park.

* * *

A/N: Hi guys..it's finally over. Thank you so much for taking your time reading; it means a lot. I do hope you guys enjoyed reading this. I will truly miss this. Please take your time to review and give me a feedback. I apologize for having grammatical errors and the like. Nonetheless, I had fun writing this. THANK YOU AGAIN.

I finally have my laptop back so expect that I will be updating KRF more often from now on. I am also thinking to write a highschool AU, but it will still depend on my time and priorities next semester. It's finals week and I will truly appreciate if you guys will pray for me.


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